The Gates of Hell
by The Righterzpen
Summary: Sequal to "The Jangette Diaries". What happens when Shiloh's brothers come looking for him in this post order 66 universe? With superior technology and a whole new cosmos; how do they keep the evil Sithe Empire from swallowing up their own world?
1. Chapter 1 The Odyssey Begins

**Author's Note: **This story is a continuation of "The Jangette Diaries" and does cover questions of out of character actions of some of the canon "Star Wars Clone Wars" characters in the previous story.

Similar to "Jangette Diaries" there are some references and mild descriptions of physical, psychological and sexual abuse. This story does contain one mild to moderate description of a murder scene, one mild to moderate description of a prisoner of war event, one mild to moderate description of a suicide and mild to moderate descriptions of combat. The other psychological topic covered is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to war. There is one mild, non-physically descript record of hedro-sexual intercourse, one reference to masturbation and a few references to male prostitution. Though there is no "slash" in this story, there are some jokes and references to homo-sexual behavior. This story contains mild language.

Reviews of all sorts are welcome but not necessary.

This story was written to give a thoughtful perspective on a Christian relationship to God in a science-fiction setting.

I've attempted to remain true to what is currently known of the Star Wars canon and George Lucus's interpretation of "the Force". (The force is not God.)

* * *

><p><em>(This is a Star Wars Fan Fiction Story. I do not own the Clone Wars setting; although most of the main characters are of my own making, as is the alternate universe Shiloh's brothers come from. Star Wars characters that appear, andor are mentioned in this story are Yoda, Jester, Chopper, Fives, Rex, Cody and Ashoka.) _

**The Gates of Hell**

_**The Odyssey Begins**_:

"So Nakam, are you done packing?" Sentury inquired as he finished wiping off the bookshelf.

"Almost." I replied. "Everything is pretty much done, except there's a few things I want to download before we take off."

"Addicted to those ancient war manuscripts aren't you?" Sentury laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I am." I responded. "They're kind of interesting."

"You know where Katook went?" Sentury paused a minute as he picked up some odd little piece of something we both assumed belonged to Katook.

"Not a clue." I laughed. "You know how he is."

"Yeah, I know." Sentury sighed as he set this mysterious artifact on the desk.

"So do you think we're actually going to find Shiloh?" I blew out a long slow breath as I gave Sentury one of those inquisitive looks we all seem to be so good at replicating. One of those quirky mannerisms of being a clone I suppose. Sentury turned around, returning the expression. "Stop that, you're creeping me out!" I laughed. Sentury just shook his head.

"Damn!" He muttered. "Someone's gotta stop cloning me!"

"Well, you're just a great looking guy with such an awesome personality!" I chided.

"Nakam!" Sentury flashed another familiar cast. "Shut up!"

"You guys almost ready!" Katook boisterously squealed as he suddenly came running into our now nearly empty dorm room. "Captain San Wan, Professor Drake and Dr. Salichika are waiting. Not to mention _**your **_buddy Japah!" Katook poked Sentury.

"Yes, we're coming." Sentury replied with a playful slap down. "Unlike some clones I know." He gave Katook another couple of wacks. "Some of us had finals this morning." Sentury laughed as he grabbed his gear and continued hassling Katook out the door.

"Hey stop it!" I heard Katook protest as I too shouldered my gear and followed my fellow brothers toward the landing lot.

"Katook!" I hollered as I grabbed his... what ever it was Sentury left on the desk?

"Wah?" Katook swung around as I hurled this crystal looking thing at him. "Oh yeah thanks!" He grinned as he caught his 'lucky charm'. "Don't want to forget this!" He muttered as he stuffed it in his gear and kept walking.

I let out a sigh as we transversed the campus of good 'ol Hopewell University. I'm gonna miss this place. I thought to myself. One college degree, a research project and four years later; my life has changed a lot. I pondered as I observed the differences that had been made manifest between Katook and Sentury these past years.

Sentury had remained pretty much the same as he was upon arriving at the college. Yeah, he too was 4 years older; but he still pretty much hung in precise similitude to every other clone in this army. He was still rather lean, lanky and as flexible as all his other 'unaltered' brothers. His face certainly showed the years of his maturity; but as compared to Katook and myself, Sentury was still rather young looking. I chuckled at such an irony, as he is actually 4 years older than either of us. At 29 and 25 years respectively; we should have traded places with each other.

As for Katook - and 'yours truly' here; well? We certainly look different now and I'm still trying to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing? I think I feel more for Katook in all this medical research than I do for myself. He was really hoping for the 'magic bullet'; I'd suppose you'd call it. But no, only one it seems had gotten that, at this point - was Track. After all he'd been through though; I think he deserved it. He's very good with his clone babies; very devoted to them, not to mention Katurah. They were both awfully fortunate to find each other. As for the rest of us though; it looks to be that we're just going to have to continue to bestow our affections upon all those hundreds and thousands of baby clones. That's alright too though. They need us. I sort of chuckled to myself. I've enjoyed my rotations in cloning facilities.

I observed Katook a bit longer as he bounced his way along the pathways to the landing lot; waving to fellow classmates and hollering "Good luck!" and "Blessings!" The 'resetting' of his biological chemistry seems to have done wonders for stabilizing his mood swings too. Professor Sha Wii had said that medically, they never expected that to happen; but it didn't surprise her either. I'm just glad he's better though. I haven't seen an 'event' in more than three standard space years now and let me tell you; episodes of mania are real bad news on a battlefield!

"HEY NAKAM!" I heard a familiar voice as I quick turned around to see Annie bounding up to us. She stretched out her long arms, scooped me up and twirled me around a few times. Oh how I hate it when she does that! It's so embarrassing.

"_**PUT ME DOWN LIZARD LIPS!"**_ I yelled.

"OK!" Annie laughed as she tossed me up in the air a couple of times before she sort of unfurled me out of her arms onto the grass. That's the problem with having alien friends that are 135 kilos and nearly three meters high. But it's the end of the semester; so I suppose Annie's not particularly worried about getting in trouble for picking up a clone soldier.

I peered over at Katook and Sentury who were now just standing there snickering at me. You think that's funny? Well, get 'em Annie! I thought to myself for a moment before I decided that probably wouldn't be the wisest thing to say, since Kamari and clone soldiers don't usually mix well together. Annie was another story though. She'd been orphaned in a Selinium mine and stowed away on a Feorian freighter with half a squadron of sick clones that was left abandon in space. All were infected with the dreaded Kamari syphilis. What a horror story that was; but anyways.

Annie has been on this campus for 6 years now. She'd gotten a degree in multi-species biology and was working on a medical rotation at Hopewell hospital. I think she's done quite well considering her circumstances. She's the only Kamari known to this sector of the galaxy outside of the smugglers, slave traders and sex trafficers. When they'd found Annie with the sick clones; she was only maybe half a meter high, malnourished and sick herself. She didn't have the Kamari syphilis though; she had Selinium mine lung. Annie still has difficulty with the Asthma like condition. Lot of scar tissue in her lungs I guess. She recovered very well though, with the love and care of her Savawarhian adoptive parents. She'd later come to know Shiloh. They'd both been on the same freighter that fateful day, almost 20 years ago now.

"So are you guys leaving soon?" Annie asked, sounding a bit sad as she reached out to help me up again.

"Yeah, we are." I replied as she pulled me to my feet.

"You think you really are going to find Shiloh and the researchers?" Annie asked another tentative question.

"Well we hope so." Sentury responded. "Professor Drake seems to think from all the data he's studied these past 5 or so years, that the Super Warp actually worked. They're out there somewhere." Sentury let out a sigh as his eyes drifted toward the heavens.

"Well I wish you guys all the best of luck and I really do hope you find them." Annie smiled as she dropped to her knees and reached out to hug me. All three of us said our good-byes to Annie before we headed toward the landing lot. I glanced back at her one last time as she stood there in the courtyard waving a mournful farewell. In that instant a cold chill ran up my spine. Where was this journey going to end? Oh God please protect us. I prayed as this miscellaneous Scripture verse floated through my head. "I shall build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

We all climbed into the shuttle where our companions on this odyssey were already waiting. Our next stop was to be the main compound of the Inter-planetary Space Defense on Savawarh. From there we were to get on a transport to Aardat. I let out a little chuckle as I thought to myself how the trip to the Space Defense compound was actually going to take longer than the one to Aardat. Yeah, the planet nearly just "across the street". I laughed to myself as I strapped in while Japah sealed the door. We started to move before Japah was actually in his seat..

"Sorry about that!" Captain San Wan apologized to Katook, who'd suddenly found Japah in his lap. "Ranaka's still gotta get the balance thrusters fixed on this thing." We hovered a moment while Japah scurried over to take his seat next to Sentury.

Savawarh is the neighboring planet to Aardat. The two have an interesting history together. I began to muse as I watched the university campus shrink beneath us. All those very different little people running around down there. These planets are populated by very diverse species of cognizant intelligent life; although now many of the people on this campus are not native to either planet. I noted as I watched mixed clusters of students begin to swarm out from the buildings. Both Aardatians and Savawarhians are life long monogamous species and seem to be genetic cousins of each other. Aardatians are the shorter of the two; standing at 1.3 meters. They are hairless with rather large heads, large eyes, long arms and a sort of terra-cotta orange completion. I giggled as I stared down at a group of them who were waving frantically to us. Katook and I waved back.

One other interesting anatomical feature of Aardatian humanoids is that they don't have thumbs. Odd, yeah I know. How do they pick things up? They have little suction cup looking pads on their fingers and more joints in their hands than Earth humanoids. These appendages are rather amazing feats of engineering to watch. Aardatians have a great love of music and it's not uncommon to see these huge forced air, billow and piped instruments with multiple layers of keyboards in varying public buildings. Get three or four of these little guys lined up on the benches of one of these massive organs and watch their long skinny fingers fly. I've never seen anything quite like it. I chuckled to myself.

Savawarhians on the other hand look a bit more like Earth humanoids. They are taller, have very kinky brown or black hair, and varying shades of brick red skin. The one rather interesting feature of Savawarhians is the shape of their skulls. They have boney ridges framing their faces that make them look like they have sea shells on their heads. They are also a little more robust with thicker bones than their cousins from Aardat. Don't let those Aardatian small frames and rubbery bones deceive you though. I giggled a bit as I watched several packs of students break out running toward the sports fields. Aardatians aren't hardly as strong as we are; but their racers have been clocked at sprints close to 70 kilometers an hour. That's a hell of a lot faster than I'll ever run; even being chased by a Tarillian swamp rat!

We banked sideways and I held onto my stomach as my view suddenly changed from the green campus lawns to the blazing sun shining in my face. Man was that sun hot and bright; especially as we neared the outer layers of the artificial atmosphere. That was another thing about Savawarh; it was basically a desolate planet with the exception of it's bubble colonies. The cabin of the shuttle began to heat up rather quickly until the air temperature and humidity modulator kicked in. Dr. Salichika played with the sensors a bit, until the most comfortable climate for all aboard could be agreed upon. Another oddity about us all. Savawarhians like it dry and hot, Aardatians moist and cool and clone soldiers, somewhere in the middle on the warm side. Than we have poor Professor Drake; a natural born Earth human who always seems to be a bit uncomfortable no matter what the humidity and temperature controls are set at. I don't know if that's typical of all natural born Earthlings or just him. We all chuckled as we watched him peel off another layer of clothing. He turned around and glared at us.

"Hey, just because the inside of your barracks feels like the Amazon Jungle basin doesn't mean we all like it like that!" He chided while everyone else let out a little snicker.

"Now come on; it's not that bad in here." The doctor replied.

"Maybe for you!" Professor drake shuttered. "But they're suppose to be human clones, not Savawarhian clones. They're sitting there in 34 kilo metal alloy suits; they _should_ be hot!" He peered back at us and shook his head.

"Those Paroian DNA strands." Captain San Wan chuckled.

"Metal alloy suits equal air conditioned armor!" Japah added.

"Speak for yourself." Katook mumbled. "I _am_ hot."

"Wooo, you _hot clone_ you!" Sentury teased Katook as he leaned across the isle and made kissy noises at him.

"Yeah, I'm hot and your ugly!" Katook retorted as he reached out and pushed Sentury's face away. "And I can say that because you don't look like me anymore!" He grinned at him.

"No bro; it's _you_ who don't look like _me _anymore!" Sentury chided as he reached back across the isle and poked Katook a few times.

"Don't get excited boys." Professor Drake cut in. "We can all still tell you're clone soldiers."

"Must be the armor." Katook grinned as he now glanced at me and straitened himself up all nice and proper. "Cause I know I'm _way_ better lookin than you all...ugly clones!"

"Hey, I'm not an ugly clone!" I responded with a few pokes of my own. "Matter of fact; I'm better looking than your whole ugly army!"

"My ugly army?" Katook fell right in line. "It aint my ugly army!"

"Yes it is." Sentury took his turn.

"Cause your in it!" Japah followed suit.

"Who's on first?" Captain San Wan commented rather dryly.

"AHHHHH! Stop It!" The doctor screeched as all the rest of us just burst out laughing. "Clone army Earth humor! Errr!" She shuttered.

"No, seriously though?" Sentury turned back to Katook and myself after all the giggles died down. "Are you guys really hot?" He inquired since we were indeed now chemically different than they.

"Yeah I am." Katook answered.

"I'm a little uncomfortable." I added. "But not too bad."

"Hum?" Sentury sat back in his seat a minute before he turned toward Japah. "That's... fascinating!" He commented.

Yeah, it was kind of fascinating. I thought to myself, still not sure if I was particularly happy with the differences. Having a more 'normal' human chemistry certainly did have it's advantages. I was at present, ...further capable of feeling certain sensations than just about any other clone in this army. I think I now had a better understanding of the other human male students on campus, who just seem to have this need to attempt to copulate with just about every chick they passed. Well, maybe it wasn't _that_ bad; but I could definitely... feel where they were coming from.

"So?" Japah cut in as he leaned over a bit and looked at Katook and I. "Either of you consider going back on the neurotransmitter blockers?"

"Well, probably; but I don't know." I pondered a minute. "I want to give it another six months or so and see how I feel. Besides, where will we end up with this Super Warp thing; who knows? When I go back into the fleet definitely though; it's gotta be awfully hard fighting a war like this." I shook my head.

There was a bit of silence as Japah's attention now shifted to Katook.

"So, how about it?" He inquired.

"I want to have babies." Katook only mumbled rather sadly.

"Oh Katook." I sighed as I slung my arm around his neck and commenced with a couple of good natured noogies. Katook just elbowed me back a couple of times.

"You can babysit once in a while!" He chuckled as he gave me a shove.

"OK, sure." I chuckled as I bounced back into him. "I'd be honored to take care of you clone babies."

"Only if you promise not to make them cry!" Katook wagged his finger at me.

"Oh come on; you know me better than that." I replied as I knocked his scolding hand away from my face. "Remember that day on diaper duty back in CF #26?" I pointed out as everyone began to laugh.

"Only in this army." Captain San Wan chimed in. "Only in this army!"

We banked for one last circle before we took our turn in this bubble's exit shaft. I always liked this part because it was like getting shot out of a cannon. Kind of like those ancient amusement rides we all seem to be so attracted to. What are they called; roller coasters?

"Hey remember that Space Mountain ride." Japah suddenly chimed in as we exited the launch tube. Apparently I wasn't the only one having that thought.

"Yeah, that was kind of fun." Sentury responded. "Yeah, what was it? Replica Disney's Kingdom; something like that?"

"Magic Kingdom - Walt Disney world." I answered.

"Yeah, the ancient Earth history buff here; ask him." Katook laughed as he elbowed me a bit.

"Hey, that stuff is interesting." I elbowed him back.

"Yeah, I like coasters." Sentury added. "You all ever been to that Great Coaster World on Dukalana?" He inquired of us.

"Nope." We all just shook our heads.

"That must have been when you went out on medical leave." Katook replied. "I don't think our unit has ever been close to Dukalana."

"Yeah, he was out on medical leave." Japah answered. "We both were. I was too sick to go though."

"Was that the Kooka virus?" I looked at Sentury.

"No, blue oyster." He replied. "Damn, I'll never eat one of them again!" Sentury cringed.

"Hind sight's always 20/20. Aint it?" Katook nodded.

"Unfortunately yes." Sentury groaned.

"I love blue oysters." Captain San Wan laughed. "And at least I know now, I'm not going to have to compete with this army to get them!" He chuckled.

Sentury and Japah just groaned again.

"Well I've heard blue oysters will grow hair on your chest." Professor Drake looked at Captain San Wan and than peered back at us. "Did it work?" He snickered.

"Why don't you try one and let us know." Captain San Wan interjected as Professor Drake's peering gaze now turned to him. The captain just peered back at the professor and grinned; while the rest of us started laughing. "From one hairless being to another!" He smirked at Professor Drake.

"Well, contrary to popular belief; we aren't entirely hairless." Sentury corrected the Professor's apparent misconception.

"And some of us now are more un-hairless than others." Katook mumbled, though mostly to himself.

"Yeah, I think we are the only two clones in this entire army who now have razors." I grinned at Katook.

"Couldn't they have kept _that_ neuro-blocker?" Katook sighed. "I really miss not having to shave."

"Yeah well, at least they don't make us shave off the hair they can't see." I giggled.

"Thank God for small favors!" Was Katook's only response.

"So how do they do that?" Professor Drake suddenly broke in as he looked inquisitively at Captain San Wan. "Doesn't lack of testosterone negatively impact the body?"

"We have testosterone." Sentury answered. "There's just certain receptors in the brain that are blocked from it's influence."

"Oh." Professor Drake just glanced back at us as he squirmed in his seat a bit.

"And.. And that doesn't bother you guys?" He cautiously inquired.

"Nope." We all shook our heads.

"Even you guys now that are more... 'normal'?" Professor Drake attempted to choose his words thoughtfully as he peered behind his seat at Katook and I.

"Nope." I answered. "What you call 'normal' feels weird to us." I shook my head. "Yeah, it has certain advantages; I guess you'd say." I explained. "But honestly, I'd rather go back to the way I was."

"I still wanna have babies." Katook just sighed while we all, his clone brothers gave him some good natured rustling.

"Hum!" Professor Drake just made a funny face and shook his head. "Well, I hope you do get to have babies some day." He said to Katook before he turned around again.

"Well, we are almost to space dock." Captain San Wan suddenly switched the topic of conversation as we momentarily hovered outside another bubble entrance shaft. We'd soon be on our way to launch to Aardat.


	2. Chapter 2 Warped Speed

_**Warped Speed (or something like that):**_

"Is Ranaka here yet?" Dr. Salichika inquired as Captain San Wan landed the shuttle in the docking high rise.

"Well, I sure hope so?" The captain replied. "He better be, or he's gonna have an awful long walk to work tomorrow." He laughed.

We all gathered our things as the doors slid open and folks began to pile out. It was very busy in this space port city this morning. It was always busy here; but today, for what ever reason, it just seemed all the more busier. (Busier? Is that even a word?) I chuckled to myself as I handed Japah his gear before shouldering my own. We all followed Captain San Wan to the nearest lift. From there we'd catch a tube to the defense compound.

"Hey, do you guys feel like hoofing it the last kilometer or so through the city?" The doctor suddenly inquired. "They got the streets of down town all decked out for the spring celebrations." She said. "I always love to look at the exotic flowers." She smiled. "Kolettas smell so good!" She grinned hopefully.

"Well we might have time for that?" Captain San Wan commented as he checked his communicator. "I think I'd like that too." He nodded thoughtfully.

"Is there a Fair De-Lay on the way?" Katook sheepishly grinned. "I'm addicted to their cheese shoppe!" He laughed.

"No, unfortunately no Fair De-Lay." Captain San Wan chuckled.

"We gotta get one of those on our battle cruiser." I elbowed Sentury. "You think the high command will go for it?"

"You're having delusions of grandeur again!" Sentury replied.

"Fair De-Lay?" Professor Drake case a curious glance at us. "Isn't that a grocery store?" He asked while the rest of us just broke out in snickers.

"I take it you've never been there?" Dr. Salichika inquired as she hit the 'down' button on the lift.

"The Fair De-Lay in Pleasant Valley! None the less." Japah added.

"Pleasant Valley?" Professor Drake just shook his head. "Sounds like something out of a cheesy B-rated movie."

"Yes it does." Captain San Wan laughed as we all crowed into the lift with a couple dozen other varying species of aliens.

"Well, as soon as we get back from this... space odyssey!" Dr. Salichika promised Professor Drake. "We'll have to take you to the Fair De-Lay in Pleasant Valley." She chuckled as the lift came to a creaking halt and the doors slid open. "It's a regular tourist attraction!"

"A... _grocery store_?" Professor Drake just rolled his eyes as we all filed out. "People in Pleasant Valley need something to do!"

"Well one man's grocery store is another's galaxy!" Captain San Wan chuckled as he gestured in the direction we were to head. "Wouldn't you want to be the first to boldly go where no man has gone before?"

"To the..**.**_**grocery store**_?" Professor Drake interrupted and rather dryly at that.

"No," Katook replied. "To the frozen foods and beyond!" He exclaimed as he suddenly jabbed his finger in the air.

"OK, _what ever_." Professor Drake just shook his head.

We exited the docking high rise and hurried through several turn gates and one security check point before we got on the tube headed for the defense command compound. The masses had thinned a bit as we were now in that funny lull between the morning rush and the lunch crowd. As we entered the tube doors, there on our train car were several other clones.

"Hey!" We all greeted each other as we walked over and exchanged pleasantries. One thing about being in this army. There's always a brother or...twenty brothers... somewhere. These fellas were apparently doing their green zone rotation in a cloning facility, as they had a group of cloned children with them. They were taking the youngens on a trip to the Aero-Space Museum. Oh that's cool. I'd been there several times. That was a favorite past time of our clone care-givers. Take'em in the G-force machine. See if we can make'em sick! These youngens seemed to be looking forward to it. How long can you hold your cookies till you get out of the simulator and loose them all over your 'older brother'! That was fun too! Oh the joys of growing up clone. Strange rites of passage we have!

We waved our farewells to our tube traveling companions and headed up to the street. I always found the city of Eronkah a fascinating place to visit. It was very old, with narrow winding streets, beautiful building edifices and lots of small interesting shops. I don't think there was a structure here that was less than five hundred years.. young? Most of this exquisite construction was of varying types of Sete stone. Sete is a mineral that is very hard and sort of glass like. It can have an almost transparent cast. When it mixes with other minerals in it's formation though; some intriguing patterns can spring forth. These 'pretty' Sete are cut into patterned blocks to decorate the faces of the more 'mundane' Sete. I find all Sete fascinating though. My thoughts began to ramble as I stood in the street just looking at the buildings.

"And there's Nakam." I heard Sentury laugh as he came back to retrieve me. "Seduced by the song of the Sete stone." He chuckled.

"What?" I just looked at him funny. "Did you know that when they quarry this stuff; the stones come out with rough pocketing crossing their layered sides. So they can be fit together and stacked almost like children's duplo blocks." I inquired of Sentury, although he didn't answer. "Matter of fact, they cut so evenly that the need for mortar is albite eliminated. Very fascinating Sete stone is." I concluded with a grin while Sentury just stood there staring at me.

"It's OK Nakam." He finally sighed as he patted my shoulder. "We all understand."

"What? Just because you're an architectural Neanderthal; doesn't mean we all have to be!" I rebutted as Sentury just stood another minute and shook his head.

"Git... over here!" Was his only response, as he grabbed my head and gave me a good... brotherly smack down.

The flowers were out in full force, lining the narrow stone road. That was another thing about Eronkah; practically all the city streets were pedestrian traffic only. Unlike some cities on other planets I'd seen; Eronkah was very clean, well organized and it's spaces planned out to maximize efficiency. The metropolis transport system was underground. What a feat of engineering that must have been! I smiled to myself as I paused a moment to wait for Katook; who was now the one wandering off someplace else. Clones and the non-combat distractability factor. I mused a minute. I guess when we feel safe; our brains turn to mush and we have a tendency to be on 'roving minutes'. Or maybe it's just brain farts; but any ways. There's a lot of jokes about that too. I chuckled to myself.

OK Katook, what's got you so enthralled that you've stalled in the street here. I smirked at my own stupid play on words as _I_ now turned back to retrieve someone _else_. Katook had become memorized by a display of carnivorous foliage that bore the odd titles from a genetic engineer who was apparently missing a few DNA strands himself.

"Look at that!" Katook elbowed me. "Bite Me House Plants." He laughed as I looked at the names on the display.

"Dog Bite Wood." I began to read. "Cat Scratch Tails, Shark Tooth Tulips, Peruana Pansies!" I started to chuckle, although with one raised eyebrow.

"Watch this." Katook whispered as he did a quick glance around before he quietly picked up a small gardening implement and poked the 'Peruana Pansies'. The thing actually growled as it bit at the pruning sheers. Katook's little 'experiment' quickly caught the attention of the display attendant. "No, do." He said in broken galactic standard as he came toward us waving his hands. "They think is food, you make angry!" He warned.

"Yeah don't piss off the pansies!" I poked Katook who'd suddenly dropped the sheers.

"See." The little Telarian held up a sign that said: "_**Please **__**D**__**on't**_ _**tease**_ the plants."

"Sorry." Katook attempted to apologize in as serious of a tone as he could manage to muster, while the attendant shooed us away.

"Naughty clone." The little alien muttered as we walked off and he scurried back to his seat behind the exhibit.

"Making mischief again are you?" I smirked at Katook. "Naughty clone." I shamed him.

"I said I was sorry!" He shrugged trying to look innocent.

"Yeah, right!" We both laughed.

"Hey, Nakam, Katook!" We heard Sentury (or was it Japah) calling us.

"What?" We both turned our heads simultaneously.

"Kawarian coffee!" Sentury pointed to a small shop about 3 doors down from where we were. We just stood there and shrugged though. "You've never had any; I take it?" He inquired with a chuckle as he was now headed toward us.

"Nope." We both shook our heads.

"Oh man! You guys gotta try this stuff. It's expensive; but worth it." Sentury grinned real big. "On the sixth day God created Kawarian coffee!" He laughed. "And rested on the seventh, with a cup of it in His hand."

"Another one of your theological hypothesis that has absolutely no Scriptural backing." I snickered.

"Exactly." Sentury nodded. "But I do know there _is _coffee in heaven!" He grinned. "Along with chocolate!"

"The Gospel according to Sentury." I laughed.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "And I'm looking forward to the day I don't have to do _this_ anymore!" Sentury grumbled as he immediately commenced with a search of his data node to see how many clone credits he had. "Japah, help me out here." He said as he nudged Japah; (who was the one now being seduced by the song of the Sete stone) and gestured to the coffee shop.

"Ooooh!" Japah's face suddenly lit up when he glanced over to where Sentury had pointed. He too was now searching his data node. "Need some extra credits; I'll help you out." He said to Sentury.

"Hey guys; I got actual coins!" Katook grinned.

"Coins?" I raised an eyebrow to Katook. "Where'd _you_ get coins from?"

"I sold one of those funny crystal things." Katook shrugged.

"Oh OK?" We all just shrugged too.

"Kawarian coffee - here we come!" Japah rubbed his hands together as Sentury looked around to see where Captain San Wan, Professor Drake and Dr. Salichika had disappeared too. They were absorbed in the inter-planetary rose display.

"Captain San Wan." Sentury shot a message over his communicator. "We're headed to the coffee shop."

"Ten-four." Came the reply. "Muster at tree in main circle in 30."

"Ten-four." Sentury answered.

"OK guys let's go." He motioned to us as we hurried toward the coffee shop.

"Well since you guys have never had this before." Sentury said as we took our place in line. "We'll pool our credits for yas!" He smiled.

"OK thanks." I smiled back. "We'll owe you a cup of coffee."

"You'll owe us a damn _**good**_ cup of coffee!" Japah chuckled as the person in front of us suddenly turned around.

"Burunka." I exclaimed rather surprised.

"23rd Battalion!" He smiled at us. "I served with some of you guys: Recon! Battle of Pattron!"

"Karonan!" Sentury replied. "We were on the other side of the planet."

"How's the reconstruction going?" Katook inquired.

"Very slow." The Burunka man sighed. "But that's OK. At least we're safe again."

"That was one hell of a fire fight." Japah added. "I lost most of my drones; Sentury here almost flipped his fighter wing."

"Yeah, been there; done that!" The Burunka laughed.

"So what's your name?" I inquired.

"Oh Frekk." The man replied as he gestured a Burunka hand shake.

We all returned his familiar greeting.

"Haven't done that in years." Japah let out a good natured laugh.

"So what are you doing up here? Don't usually see Burunka up this end of the galaxy." I observed.

"Oh, picking up plans for a water filtration plant." Frekk answered. "How about you?"

"We're test piloting a new warp drive." Sentury replied. "And these lucky swamp rats have never had Kawarian coffee!" He gave Katook and I a shake.

"Ahhh!" Frekk chuckled knowingly. "Well, save your clone credits." He said. "Coffee's on me!"

"Aw man, you don't have to." Sentury refused.

"Hey, it's the least I can do." Frekk said soberly. "You guys saved our planet."

"Well, thanks." We all nodded in equally serious tone.

"Promise me one thing though." Frekk smiled sadly. "You'll come back in 25 years and see how things are suppose to be!" He sighed. "Planet at peace; land at rest."

"Yeah, we will." Sentury nodded.

"And ya little bastards better survive long enough to keep that promise!" Frekk laughed as he gave us all a little sideways shove.

"But for the grace of God." I replied. "But for the grace of God - we will!"

Frekk gave a little nod before he continued. "Come on; let's get our coffee."

So, we took our turn at the counter, all trying to decide who wanted what. I think the customers behind us were getting a tad inpatient; but they pulled through it with flying colors! I do declare, that seems to be the single most indicative consequence of the lack of selection on a battle cruiser. Once we reach a destination where we have plenty of choices - all the sudden we can't make one! Clone brain fart I guess. I snickered at Katook as I walked off sipping both of our coffees.

"Hey!" He scowled at me. "I don't want your germs!"

"No, I'm just giving you yours." I laughed as I handed him his beverage.

"No you're not; you're giving me extra and I don't need extra!" Katook retorted.

"You want me to take them back?" I asked as I reached out for his cup again.

"No!" Katook protested as he protectively sheltered his mug; only to find Japah had snagged it and took a couple of swigs himself.

"Hey!" Katook objected one last time. "Get away from me you creepy clones!" He muttered before he stole off with Japah's drink and went and sat in the corner by himself.

"Ahhh, life in an army of one; can't ya just feel the love?" Sentury let out a sigh and shook his head while the rest of us just started laughing.

A few minutes passed before we rounded up Katook and life was 'back to normal'. What ever that means. Is life as a clone ever normal? I chuckled to myself. Well, one thing I've learned just from... it (life) in general; is that fine coffee and good company (or fine company and good coffee) make great combinations. In some respects, even better than buddies and beer. At least one usually remembers leaving the coffee shop; can't always say that's true of bars. Not that_**I've**_ ever done _**that**_! Needless to say; I do confess there are establishments I've patroned, that on occasion, I've needed assistance in finding the exit; but I've always remembered exiting!

We sat for a bit enjoying our exquisite brew before heading back outside. Frekk decided to tag along with us for a bit so he could 'meet the rest of our party at the tree on Main Street circle'. Captain San Wan was equally surprised and delighted as we, at seeing a Burunka out in here yonder parts. We talked quite a bit about the rebuilding efforts back on Burun. Several of the main transport thero-fares had been rebuilt; but most of the cities were still in shambles. It's not easy, but people are surviving. Frekk had told us. Well, that's good to hear. We had all agreed. Many times we are deployed to a place; leave when the security is stable and never really hear what happened to the planetary inhabitants.

Dr. Salichika too was very happy to hear things were going well for Frekk and his people. "Living on a planet that has never seen a war. I can hardly imagine." She'd sighed.

Savawarh is very blessed to have been spared from some of the horrors other parts of this galaxy have seen. Not to say Savawarh hasn't had it's own share of hardship. Several thousand years ago, a massive asteroid hit the planet and knocked it out of it's original orbit. Consequently, that meant mass extinction.

A new fledgling discovery in space travel had come just in the nick of time for Savawarh though. Only about 50 years prior, had the Aardatians discovered warp drive. The space program got put on hold though because the displacement of Savawarh had caused massive planetary climatic changes on Aardat too. When the Aardatians finally reached Savawarh; nearly everything was dead. Massive efforts on Aardat evacuated who and what was left. After another couple hundred years, when the planets' orbits in this particular solar system kind of reset themselves. (I think they had a little help from... 'above'.) Another mammoth engineering project was undertaken; repopulating Savawarh. So nearly a millennia later - here we are.

Now how does this all fit in with my ancient Earth history studies? I began to ponder as we all continued to wander up the street toward the main defense building. Earth had gotten warp drive sometime after the third world war and nuclear holocaust. I think? I muttered through my muddied memory. Than some people called Vulcans had found them? They all ended up banding together in a Federation of Planets; or something like that. Which had fallen apart by the end of the third millennium; after several member planets had some major internal affair issues.

There were the Klingons; who I guess had later joined the Federation? But they ended up going extinct from being overrun by some subservient species. I guess rumor has it that the Klingon home world suffocated under 25 kilometers of... Tribbles.

The Ferengi Empire on the other hand; were invaded by the Borg. Assimilating the Ferengi ended up turning the Borg into the worst peddlers of space junk in the Alpha quadrant. Rumor has it the Borg met their doom in the vault of eternal destitution because they were no longer turning a profit.

The Cardassians now? Hum, what happened to them after the war with the Dominion ended? Something about a retro virus left by the Klingon invasion? It had infected the sea life on Cardassia and after several hundred years, just morphed into a plague that wiped out most of the Cardassians because of their custom of drinking (now tainted) fish juice every morning. Oh man, what a way to go! Something sounds fishy!

Than there were the Vulcans? What ever happened to them? I guess no-one really knows; but it just wasn't logical!

"Hey Nakam" Captain San Wan's voice interrupted my thoughts. "You done with your coffee? We got to go through security now."

"Oh yeah." I mumbled as I wasn't really paying attention; but apparently we'd gotten to the main defense building. I gulped down the last swig and tossed the cup in the recycling bin. Man Sentury was right; that _was_ good coffee!

We passed through two security check points on our way to the launch terminals headed for Aardat. I felt kind of bad for Dr. Salichika and Professor Drake, as their security checks were far more complicated than any of us. Clones are easy to process. We just walk through a scanner that reads a chip in the back of our heads. Pretty simple; usually. I remember going through this though with several other clone brothers one time and Gumpah got stopped. I guess the scanner was malfunctioning or something. It couldn't read his chip; kept saying he was dead. They actually called the security chief down from the observation room. After examining the back of Gumpah's neck and determining the chip couldn't have been implanted into a 'fake clone'; they let him through.

Yeah, I know that sounds strange. Who'd fake being a clone soldier, but you'd be surprised. There was a contest a couple of years ago sponsored by one of the colleges back on Earth. Funny, they actually deemed it worthy of media attention. Any ways. 'Who Wants to be a Clone?' was on the Friday night line-up of one of the major entertainment networks. Mostly it was young tough guys who wanted to see if they could beat us at urban combat. Needless to say; the non-clone contestants found out after the competition was over, that we _**do**_ have some unfair advantages. Our DNA genome isn't entirely human.

The meet started with the contenders going through some of our training and than running an obstacle course and simulated combat against several clones The first half of this event, the non-clones thought they really had the upper hand. That was until everyone took off their helmets and discovered they were competing against clones that were ten to twenty years older. One age group was 20 to 25 years olds; the other was 35 to 40 year olds. The younger guys held their own fairly well against the older. When they competed against clones who were comparable age though; well, let's just say - the playing field was no longer level.

It's real tough to out run and out wit a guy who's got more efficient lungs, circulation and nerve conduction. Our brain structure is a little different too. It's funny. In the end the competition organizers explain the differences to the contestants. Once they know these things; they realize why they really had no chance of winning.

When comparing physiology; the speed at which we process things is only a hair faster. When you process multiple inputs 'a hair' faster though; all those 'hairs' add up. We can accomplish tasks more efficiently; which in turn, we can cram more tasks in a smaller space of time. The cloners actually learned how to do that by studying the brains of humans who have a disorder called Autism.

Needless to say, some of the contestants did fairly well despite not being genetically enhanced. After that competition aired though; it became common knowledge on most campuses that you don't want to pick a fight with a clone! We did have a couple of martial arts students at Hopewell who would come and train with us every morning. Only a few ever really 'made the grade' so to speak; albite not entirely because of skill, but primarily of the necessity to fit into clone armor. It's awfully hard to hurt someone who's fully armored with anything other than combat grade phase weapons or those electromagnetic stun charges. But those are another story. I'd much rather get hit with a phase weapon. Stun charges usually mean your about to get captured!

Bad news; _some-times really bad news_!

We waited a bit while Dr. Salichika and Professor Drake collected their things from the security check point. Captain San Wan had it the easiest of all. Because he's got such a high security clearance; one retina scan and he's in! So with that; we were headed off to catch a transport!


	3. Chapter 3 Mangled Memories

_**Mangled Memories:**_

The terminal was quite busy as we ran through several gates, links and hopped on two ground shuttles. We got some friendly waves and a few hearty "hello"(s) upon our travels through this massive space transport complex. I was a bit surprised that so close to the main defense building, we'd attracted even that much attention. Peoples who oft travel space ports are generally so used to seeing clones that we nether catch their eye. Must be an off day today though? I chuckled as I waved back to a couple of elderly women from Pendorah.

Funny we've intrigued so many 'fans'; especially after the plague that hit Ruach a few years back now. Some strange avian flu virus had decimated the population; leaving swarms of orphaned children. An Inter-galactic peace keeping force was sent in to help maintain order in the pandemonium; as the flu was dying down and the massive clean up efforts began. Since humans are immune to the particular form of influenza present on Ruach; the Inter-galactic Planetary Defense thought we'd be good candidates to the task.

I guess many of that sector's inhabitants were impressed with this army's domestic skills; despite the fact that we had an obviously unique means of running orphanages. Our battalion did a brief stint in several of those facilities upon the tale end of one of our yellow zone rotations. Our primary duty was organizing the logistics of food transport in and out of these huge 'orphan cities'. It was a ghostly eerie sight. You'd walk through the streets of these once 'normally' populated neighborhoods and there were utterly and absolutely no adults; just mobs of prepubescent Ruachia children. I guess the flu had something to do with their reproductive cycle, because it's only survivors were those who were too young or too old to bear children. Basically the population now consisted of those under the age of about 15 and very elderly women.

Strangely, just as quickly as this flu appeared; it disappeared. Yes, it took all the adults with it; but as the younger child survivors matured, none of them became infected. We clones had dubbed it 'the promised land plague' since only those under 20 years old 'made it in'. I think that was the most unusual yellow zone duty I'd ever been posted to and I've seen some unique non-direct combat assignments. I laughed to myself as we continued to our transport. Many clones I know don't particularly care for yellow zone duty stations. Yeah, they're not generally as 'exciting' as red zones and not as 'relaxing' as green zones; but I actually have a preference for yellow zones. Too much combat is too stressful and too much routine is too boring. Yellow zones though, are usually just the right combination of 'excitement' and 'relaxation' for me.

What of experimental warp drive duty though? I wonder what that will be? I began to ponder as we lined up to board the transport. Lot of folks headed for Aardat today. I mused a moment as I ran my arm over the scanner and got registered on this flight. I followed Captain San Wan and Sentury up the loading corridor to the space transport. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief as I could see we__were headed for a passenger ship.

"Oh we're going in style." I joked to Sentury as I pointed out the window.

"Yeah, at least they won't have to strap us to the wall to keep us from floating around the inside of some cargo hold!" Sentury laughed. "This time we get actual seats."

"Hey I like to travel the big zilch G!" Japah added. "Best sleep I've ever had!"

"Well yeah, I will give it that." I replied. "I just have a thing about being put in a cargo cage though." I shook my head. "I know it keeps the rest of the crap from squishin us when we reenter the planet's atmosphere; but still, who flies transport in cargo cages other than clone soldiers? Something about that just is not right!"

"Well, you can file a complaint with the Planetary Confederation." Japah laughed. "Have 'em make cargo cages unconstitutional."

"Naw, that won't work." I chided. "There's too many warped clones like you - who actually like it!"

"Hey, what's not to love!" Sentury chimed in. "They tether you to the wall, couple on a urinary hose and pressure ya up all nice and toasty till you fall asleep! Next thing you know your there!"

"Yeah and depending on how long the trip takes; you wake up starving!" I mumbled.

"Hey, you aint got nothing to complain about till you've ridden the big zilch G on more than 48 hours" Katook suddenly added his two cents of experience. "Complete on nutritional assistance and waste extractor. You wanna talk about waking up grumpy!"

"Eeeew." We all commenced with cringed snickers as memories of the tail end days of our training came to mind. We'd seen video stream and simulator footage of clones being hooked up to these things and sent on transport for two weeks at a time. We even had the option of volunteering for one of these trips if we really wanted the acquaintance. Katook was the only one in our squad who was brave enough (or stupid enough) to actually go through it.

I remember him reiterating his tales of travel woe when we'd caught up to the zilch G group for our last phase of training. He said it actually wasn't as uncomfortable as it looks. Once you get past the tube strung through the sinus going down your throat thing; the rest of it's pretty easy. Contrary to 'popular' belief too; he said, you're not actually asleep the whole time. They'd wake up in the transport periodically and talk to each other. He said the best part about it, was the muscular/skeletal, circulation/balance stimulation cycles. That was actually quite pleasant; except Katook has unusually ticklish feet. That's how the other brothers on the trip knew when he was awake. When ever the first phase of the cycle would commence Katook would start giggling.

So thus is riding big zilch G cargo transport. Lucky for us though, that isn't the routine mode of carrying clones for durations of any more than 24 hours. That's what battle cruisers are for. _**Thank God!**_ Zilch G is commonly used for covert operations though, since you can actually put these cargo cages inside an insulated container and load them on any freight transport. It's also the safest mode of travel. Even if the freighter is destroyed; a unit of clones could survive in one of these boxes for up to one standard space month. That's even longer than your average escape pod. These containers also have special encryption codes; so not just anyone can open them. This has saved many a clone from smugglers or slave traders, who just couldn't get them out before a battle cruiser showed up. Not that I'd suspect most space pirates would even know what was in the containers. It's not typically used, because I can only guess that it would have to be quite expensive.

"Oooh concierge services." I snickered to Katook as some attendant grabbed our gear from us and tossed it over the railing onto a conveyor belt while we ascended the boarding platform.

"Hey be careful! My grandmother's china's in there!" Came Japah's protest as the remainder of our party of 7 attempted to veil our amusement.

"Alas my darling brother." Katook suddenly turned to Japah. "It doth appear that gram-me-me's daintiest fortunes have thus been laid to utter ruin upon the cruel lot of time efficiency space travel."

"What?" Japah just stood there momentarily staring at Katook, while all the rest of us could no longer contain our laughter. "Where do you come up with this stuff?" He shook his head.

"Too much Shakespear!" I commented.

"Too much of something, but I don't think it was Shakespear!" Japah mumbled with a chuckle and than a sigh. "Katook my... _darling_ brother." Japah continued as he rested one hand on Katook's shoulder. "Never a dull moment with ya; there is? Never a dull moment!"

Nope never a dull moment. I chuckled to myself as Katook swung Japah around and edged him into the craft. We all took our seats about 7.5 rows down from the loading door. I sat next to Katook as Dr. Salichika and Professor Drake let Sentury and Japah in by the window. I guess they figured they could keep the clones quiet by letting us watch the scenery go by. Not that there was much to see once we took off. Everything flew past so quickly that it was just a blur of conjoined colors; but I guess it made them feel better. Captain San Wan stowed his small brief case in the safe above our heads and than proceeded to take the seat next to me.

"Well good afternoon Nakam. How are things going of late. It's been a while since I've sat down and actually talked to you." He smiled. "How you been?"

"Oh not too bad Sir." I replied. "I think I did fairly well on my finals." I let out a contemplative sigh. "Except for maybe molecular chemistry? That was a tough one. I know I passed the class, but I didn't do as well as I hoped I would."

"Well, you guys had a lot happen this past year. Some times, it's just not the right time you know." The Captain looked at me. "I think you all did remarkably well, considering the circumstances though." Captain San Wan smiled charitably . "Not every day clones end up in the middle of a civilian murder investigation!" He raised one eyebrow. "It's a miracle you even finished the semester."

"Yes sir, I guess it is." I pondered a moment as the events of the past nine months floated through my head. Yeah, I was going to miss Hopewell University; but at the same time, I was relieved it was over. It had been a tough year. I sighed as my mind began to wander back down good 'ol memory lane.

We had followed Captain San Wan to the dormitory where we would be staying for the next how ever many months this study was suppose to transpire. _(Little did we realize we'd be there four years.) _We met the dorm rep and a few of the other students who were in our hall way. Apparently there were several other clones residing in this dorm too; although most of them were away on other duties, since the college was on break. The vast majority of who all else remained on campus were students from planets who were either too far away, or too costly to go home on leave.

Our dorm rep was named Shazatantah and he was from planet Ankankatan way over in the Alpha Quadrant; which was about 8.43 light years from Earth. All the other students around here though just called him "Shazam"; because it was easier to say. He seemed like a nice person; one of only three Ankankartans at this college. He had a human roommate named Ted; who we'd come to meet only a few hours later. I'd asked him if he'd not prefer to room with other Ankankartans; when he explained to me that his species is, as he described them - "bisexual". This means they really have no "male" and "female" as we understand it; but that all individuals are both. I'd come to find out later from Ted, that "bisexual" meant something totally different on Earth; but any ways.

So thus, it was not deemed appropriate; (at least from the vanish point of the college) to house the Ankankartans together. Shazam said that it was fine with him though; seeing how he'd described living with others of his own race as "difficult." He said that he liked Ted and they got along fine together. They had a common interest in what has been generally termed to us as "martial arts." They had been friends with several of the other clones who'd just left.

"Ted and some of his other buddies will be happy to meet you guys." Shazam told me.

After we'd unpacked; Captain San Wan informed us that he had to get going, but would be back in a couple of weeks to check on us.

"Don't worry." He'd said. "I'll keep you posted as to what's going on in the battalion. When I return, I'll bring the necessary equipment to set up a com-link; so you can keep up with the rest of the guys in your squad." The Captain smiled. "I'm sure they'll love to know what kind of trouble their buddies are getting into down here!"

"And I'm sure Mandell is going to bug us for recipes!" Sentury laughed.

"Yes, probably!" Captain San Wan chuckled as he slapped Sentury on the back and went on his way.

Shazam offered to take us around the campus and introduce us to the cafeteria food. For what ever that was worth! He'd grumbled. Apparently Shazam didn't find the meals here much to his culinary delight.

"No." Shazam sighed. "I'm used to what would be considered gourmet food on Earth."

"Clone army gourmet - ration bars." Japah started to giggle.

"Hey it all taste like card board to me!" Shazam shrugged.

"Clone army ration bars aren't that bad." I interjected.

"You mean you guys actually _eat_ them?" Shazam turned around and raised an eyebrow at me. "I've heard they are good for cleaning your weapons." He started to giggle. "Can take spots off your armor, stains out of your uniforms and if you get desperate enough; you can even throw them at the enemy!"

"No actually we use them to scrub the ship's septic system." Katook suddenly broke in. "Very effective. That's why we're all so regular!"

Shazam stopped, turned around and looked at Katook.

"Thanks guys, that's a picture I didn't need in my head!" He said while we all started laughing.

Well it wasn't long before we'd joked, snickered and punch lined our way to the cafeteria. When we got there, Shazam's friend Ted was already sitting down to eat. Shazam walked over to him and when we all had gotten our food; he introduced us and than went to "grab some grub" as he put it.

"Hey we know some aliens that actually eat grubs!" Katook smiled as we all laughed. "Yeah, I guess we do." I chuckled as I looked at Katook.

"Pentorie!" We pointed at each other.

"So how many planets have you all been on?" Ted inquired of us.

"Oh I don't know?" We all just kind of looked at each other. "Lost count by now." Sentury shrugged.

"Wow. I've only been on two; this one and Earth." Ted said. "Actually, I just got back from Earth." He added.

"Vacation?" Japah asked.

"No." Ted sighed. "My father died."

"Oh, well sorry to hear that." Sentury lent our condolences.

"That's OK." Ted sighed again. "I figured you guys would understand. All those battles and shit you know. Guys getting killed all the time. Don't know how you do it?" He looked up at us. "But thank you." He said.

"Well, you're welcome." Sentury quietly replied.

We'd gotten to know Ted quite well over the months and one day he'd proceeded to tell us this story. We'd all been sitting in the student lounge that evening talking about some serious ethics question or something stupid like that; when Ted just looked at us and started to chuckle.

"You know those guys that left?" He inquired. "The ones who's dorm room you took over?" He gestured at us while we just nodded. "Well, I met them the beginning of last year." Ted began to relay a bit of history. "We had clone soldier friends ever since we were freshman. My girlfriend Jenny, you know; she really likes you guys." He laughed. "Always thought you were cute because you're not all... horney; like the rest of us." He muttered under his breath as he just shook his head and commenced with a few knocks of it upon the table. "Well, used to piss the hell out of me!" Ted laughed as he looked up at us.

"We'd go out in the morning and watch the guys combat train." Ted continued. "And we'd be thinking to our selves. Shit these are real men and they don't...? Well, you know. Oh, that can't be true."

We all started to giggle.

"I was sure Jenny had to be havin some hot steamy nights with at least one, if not all of ya." Ted paused a moment as he glanced around at us. "_Copulating_ - till the wee hours of the morning." He laughed as he put his head down on the table and banged it a few more times, while we snickered all the much more. "I'm so embarrassed." Ted confessed. "You all the only people I've ever met that use that word consistently!" He added. _"Cop-u-late!_"

"Any ways; that's what I figured was going on." Ted smirked. "Every where and anywhere; my imagination ran wild. In the dorm, the park bench, under a bush somewhere! I'd go out some nights at 12:30 looking; because I was sure as shit that one of these times, I was gonna catch one of you!" Ted gasped as we all sat there smiling at each other, when we suddenly heard bizarre and ghastly noises.

"Katook!" I interjected as I slapped he who was now enacting suggestive gestures and commencing with pathetic moans that sounded like a sick Herokian swamp rodent.

"His impersonation of a hot clone." Sentury commented in as serious of a tone as he could manage to maintain, given the current auditory impetus.

We all just turned and glared at Katook.

"Not very dignified is it?" Katook sat up and smirked at us.

"Not in this army bro; think you better stay cold!" Japah laughed.

"Ok, Ok; sorry about that." Katook apologized to Ted. "Recommence!"

"OK" Ted laughed, as I think he was finally starting to understand clone army humor. "Than one evening, I thought I hit the jack pot!" He continued. "There was one lonely clone sitting in the coffee shop in town at about 10:30 at night. He had a cup of coffee and the empty seat across from him had someone's jacket, another cup of coffee and a half eaten dessert." We sat with quiet jeers as Ted paused a minute to catch his breath.

"Well, I went in there and had a seat some place where he couldn't see me. I was gonna see who his date was! So I'm sitting there waiting and it must have been about 15 minutes before the person came back. All this stuff is going through my head. Who's gonna show up; ya know. Was she gonna be hot? Was she gonna be someone I knew? Than I started thinking; what if it's another clone? All this shit going through my head. Than finally the person comes back and it's some little, very old Aardatian man!"

We all started to howl.

"I just got up and left thinkin - Oh f— my life!" Ted sat up and took in a deep breath. "That's when I stopped worrying about it!"

_The memory began to reel through my mind like the old war footage I'd seen in one of my ancient Earth history classes. _

There was a crime here about nine months ago now. Jenny and two of her sorority sisters went with Ted, his buddy Merkin and a clone named Katook to some fraternity party. About 11 PM, Ted, Merkin and one of the girls left to go back to the dorms. The other two girls and Katook were in one of the back rooms watching a movie and since they wanted to see the end; they stayed.

Well, at about 4 AM Ted woke his roommate Shazam; because Jenny, his girlfriend wasn't answering her phone. She said she was going to call him when the movie was over. She never did.

Shazam told Ted to go up stairs and check with the other clones to see if Katook had come back. Katook had said that he'd make sure both Jenny and Shariee got back to their sorority house. Well, neither of them had arrived and when Ted got up to the clones' dorm room; Katook was missing too.

The other three clones, Ted and Shazam went to the frat house looking for their friends. When they'd arrived, the guys from the fraternity said they didn't know what happened to the missing coeds. When Shazam walked passed the back window though; he saw Shariee laying on the floor. He told the other guys this and when the clones entered the frat house; Shazam called the authorities.

A fight broke out. Six or seven of the frat brothers went after us with lengths of metal pipe. They'd just had the plumbing in the house fixed. Well, when it was all over; two of the frat brothers were dead and the other four were hospitalized. Sentury was in a coma.

Ted and Shazam entered the house when the fight started. Two of the guys were laying on the kitchen floor. Shazam went to check on Shariee, but she was already dead. She had epilepsy and apparently these boys had given her some drug. It interacted with her medication and she had a heart attack the cornier said. Well, Ted ran through this house looking for Jenny. He found her and Katook in one of the bedrooms. I'd heard he was laying on top of her. They were both unconscious and naked. Ted just freaked out.

The police had arrived by this time. Shazam and two of the officers grabbed Ted and dragged him outside. Japah and I were helping the medics with Jenny and the guys who were unconscious. They took the wounded to the hospital, brought Shazam, Japah and myself in for questioning and took Ted to the psych ward. I guess after that; they secured the house as a crime scene and the cornier came and got the bodies.

"Sounds like the scene of a battlefield." I could hear my own voice in my head. "Yeah, it was." I thought. "They later took one of the other clones to the hospital too. The one that killed the two frat brothers. He apparently had some sort of flash back when these two guys attacked him and later had a nervous break-down in the police station." My thoughts paused a minute. "He was acquitted of murder though; since they had come after him with deadly force."

The other four frat brothers were convicted on a whole mess of charges though. There were three counts of attempted murder, one first degree negligent homicide, three first degree assault, two first degree rape, unlawful possession of sedatives, unlawful use of sedatives, attempt to conceal a crime. The list was a mile long.

The police investigators had pieced together that these guys were trying to frame Katook for all this; after they realized Shariee had died. When we showed up at the house, they were almost done cleaning up the mess. They'd destroyed all the DNA evidence that... pertained to the girls.

They caught these bastards because they thought about cleaning up their mess after they'd... positioned Katook. Well, guess who they failed to clean off? When the one detective was keen enough to do a rape kit on _him_; that's where they found their evidence! He had everyone's body fluid on him; but his own!

I can still see Ted looking at me with tears streaming down his face.

Jenny committed suicide three days after this happened.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Sentury had said to Ted upon one visit to the hospital after Sentury had awoken from his coma. "You may not know this, but we understand that quite well." Sentury confessed a little hesitantly after a few more minutes of time ticked off into oblivion. "The suicide rate in this army is quite high. One of the dirty little secretes not a lot of people know." Sentury went on. "I guess it's that guys see too much and one day, they just snap and usually shoot themselves." Sentury looked around at all of us. "I myself often wonder when that specter of death is going to strike again? Death in one form or another?"

"Yeah." Ted whispered. "So much of it makes life seem way too cheap."

We all sat quietly while the hum of the hospital machines that were keeping Sentury alive hung in the air.

"Well I knew you guys would understand." Ted finally spoke up. "All those battles and shit." He said. "I'm a senior this year and after four years of looking at all your faces; I can tell who'd been in combat and who hadn't. Or at least who hadn't yet." Ted sighed.

"And this time around it's you!" I stated point blankly.

"You've been wounded in a different type of war!" Japah added.

"And you don't have to really say anything." Ted concurred with a nod.

"No you don't." Sentury sighed.

"Because you just look at the ones and know who they are." Katook amended.


	4. Chapter 4 Descent into Darkness

_**Descent into Darkness:**_

We'd landed on Aardat and although it was really quite a short trip; I guess I'd fallen asleep, because I didn't remember much of anything after takeoff. Captain San Wan poked me a couple of times and I awoke in a bit of a panic.

"It's alright Amornam; we're there." The captain said in a quite calm tone.

"Oh yes, sorry sir." I whispered as I glanced around the compartment. No-one but the captain seemed to have noticed my sudden startle. I let out a sigh as I gathered my whits about me. Hate it when that happens. I thought to myself.

"It's OK." Captain San Wan sighed too as he gave my shoulder a reassuring pat. "Another thing you won't ever have to worry about on the other side of eternity." He smiled peacefully.

"Yeah, that's true." I let out a sigh and a little chuckle of my own. "I'm sure being crucified came with it's own set of psychological side effects too." I commented.

"A man of sorrows afflicted with our grief." Captain San Wan replied. "Yes, Amornam, you're probably right." He said as he got up and grabbed his briefcase from the overhead safe.

Katook, who was already leaning over the seats in front of us yapping with Japah; put his arm around me and slapped me on the chest a few times when I stood up.

"Yeah, thanks." I mumbled to him.

"You're welcome." He smiled before he went back to his chatter.

Funny how he seems to know these things even without having actually witnessed the brief blip in my state of mind. I began to reflect as we started to follow Japah and Sentury up the isle. But than again, I know the same of him. I guess that's another thing about being a clone. I don't know of any other sentient beings who are so precisely in synch; except maybe identical twins? I pondered a moment as my eyes scanned the lot of other passengers who were also working their way off this transport.

But than again, how do you not be so intimately connected when you were hatched out of the same batch and spent your entire lives bound together. I can't even imagine not being in this army surrounded by all these other clones. Even with the emotional baggage we carry off the battlefield; I can only think that life on the outside has to be extremely lonely. I sighed as I passed a single mother attempting to pacify two small children.

We'd exited the transport and were headed off the loading deck when I stopped suddenly to look for Katook. He was back a couple of meters entertaining one of the children while the mother loaded the other into a carriage. I've never seen a clone who wanted his very own and so very badly too.

"Come on Katook." I chuckled as I ran back to retrieve him. "We got to go pick up our gear. They checked it into baggage." I shook my head at this wee inconvenience as Katook waved bye bye to his new little Savawarhian buddy.

"You really ought to open nursery school." I joked as we hurried back to the others.

"Yeah, Clone Cuddles Child Care." Katook laughed. "Complete with compassionate combat training."

"Heh." I just looked at him, shook my head and gave him a friendly shove.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with knowing how to survive when you've _**got**_ to fight!" Katook stated rather smugly.

"Never said there was." I answered as I grabbed him by the head and proceeded to mess his hair.

"Hey, I spent a whole two seconds to look this good!" He protested while smacking my hands away and giving his hair a shake. I just stood there momentarily, glared at him and smirked.

We all hurried down stairs to pick up our things before we hopped on the tube that ran us to the next complex of buildings. This was the actual aero-defense headquarters where our ship, fully outfitted with this new super warp awaited. Here we were to pick up a mechanic, a navigation expert and a pilot.

After the nuisance of several more security checkpoints was; (less than enthusiastically) plodded through, we finally arrived at our destination. The hanger was busy with mechanics, robots and high brass... discussing _(or rather arguing)_ over what ever it is high brass contend about. Needless to say, they did seem genuinely happy to see Captain San Wan. We hung back a bit, while the captain spoke to his admirals. We could over hear bits and pieces of their conversation, as they'd asked Captain San Wan if he'd been briefed yet. He confirmed with a nod that he'd received his instructions back before we left Savawarh.

"Well good!" We heard one of the admirals give a hearty bellow. "Now if the rest of your crew can just get their hover craft out from the lower streets; we'd be all set to go!"

All the wheels of progress held up by a measly juggernaut. Oh just the thought of sitting bumper to bumper in squealing vehicle horns with the scorching heat radiating up off the pavement was enough to give me a headache. In all the millennia of progress and the strides made to clean cheap energy; no-one had solved the simple quagmire of the common traffic jam. Kind of like the common cold! I think we were forever destine just to be stuck with it! I chuckled.

Well, this little difficulty didn't deter Captain San Wan from our usual pre-mission ritual. Even after several invites to his natural born Earth colleges; with the exception of Dr. Salichika, Captain San Wan found himself alone with his clones... again. How odd I often thought this to be, as we proceeded down to the basement chapel of the defense headquarters. Two non-humans and four clone soldiers, all to take part in an ancient ceremony that had been practiced on Earth for millennia before any of us ever came along; the Lord's supper. "Do this in remembrance of me."

"I Am your rock and your shield; your exceeding great reward. I am with you where ever it is you go; even unto the uttermost corners of My creation. I will never leave you or forsake you." Our good captain opened with a few modest words of encouragement. We continued on with a selection of songs chosen by Katook and Japah and than Sentury commenced with a reading of Scripture text.

My mind began to wander, as it always does. I thought of the battles we've all been in and those who were no longer here with us. My mind commonly tracked down this path. The path of ticking off all the brothers I'd lost; as well as the brothers of others I'd killed. What a sad world we live in. Such a sad universe that it's come to this. I sighed. Yet there is a time and a season to every purpose under heaven. A time for war, a time for peace; a time to laugh a time to cry and a time to zip through space in search of lost loved ones. Yes, no denying there were technical and scientific advances to be learned from this flight; but as for this clone? My primary reason for applying to this mission was to find an old friend. I missed Shiloh dearly.

"For without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." Sentury continued to read.

My mind instantly jumped to the blood doused kitchen of the fraternity house. I could see one assailant lunging at me with a J-shaped pipe. I could feel myself falling backwards and the contents on the counter-top spilling over me. I grabbed the first thing I laid eyes on; a bloodied kitchen knife and swung it up at the oncoming form. The warm red splatter peppered everything in one continuous spray, as the body veered to the left and fell on top of me. The scream that filled the air brought a second attacker running. He raised a lone pipe high over his head and swung strait down at my face. I lurched forward, the kitchen knife still in my hand. I heard a groan; as I pulled my arm down and more warm red fluid came pouring out. The combatant who'd momentarily towered over me, dropped like a rock to the floor before me. I bolted up at the sudden charge of a third pair of feet. This time it was Japah.

"Nakam?" His voice seemed to question as his eyes drifted down toward the tangled mess of bodies that lay at my feet. When I peered down at the carnage myself; I could finally see what had really happened. I had severed one's femoral artery and slit the other's throat.

I put my head down in my hands and tried to shake the memory out. I sat up and forced myself to look intensely at each of my brothers. We were all still here, even if the victims of a wholly different form of violation were not. Just another battle in this war on evil. I told myself as a lump began to well up in my throat. Sentury paused a moment from his reading and looked up at me.

"No greater love has a man than he lay down his life for a friend." He suddenly quoted. "For I will bind up the broken hearted, heal all their wounds and set the captives free."

Yeah, set the captives free. The tears suddenly started flooding out. Oh how much it seemed I needed to be freed from the memories in my head, more so than the actual events that put them there. For some things that only happened once; how is it they get so stuck? I cried.

A few moments passed before I finally came to pay attention to the fact that someone was handing me something where with to dry my tears. I'd also come to realize that I was clenching Katook in a death grasp. When we looked at each other though, I'd noticed he'd shed a few tears of his own; so I guess it was OK. We both started to laugh as we sat up and gave the other a good-natured, hearty slap on the back. It's still with in reasonable confines; we snickered with a bit of embarrassment. After all, we're still clones; we like hugs.

Sentury went on to read a bit more while I sat quietly and processed my own momentary crisis. I thought for a bit about how Katook had come to visit me in psychiatric observation wing a few days later. He said that after they'd released him from the hospital; he went back to the university dormitory to find Japah fully armored, laying in bed sound asleep. He even had his helmet on. Japah told Katook that when he'd gotten back, after being released from the precinct; he just felt better that way. I guess it's that you expect someone to attack you on a battlefield; but not in the course of a semester of college life. Yeah, I can understand that. I sighed. Poor Japah, he was all alone. All the rest of us had still been in the hospital.

I'd gotten lost again in my thoughts when Katook nudged me and handed me a cracker of unleavened bread. Oh, we're at this part already. I thought to myself as I broke a piece off and handed the rest to Japah. 'My body broken for you.' My mind tracked down another path now, as I heard the snap of Sentury breaking off his piece of bread. Broken, like broken bones. It hurts to be broken. I sighed. But at least God really does understand that. I thought to myself as I flipped the morsel of cracker I was holding back and forth a few times.

"Do this in remembrance of me." Captain San Wan quoted.

Yeah, remembrance of me. I thought. Remember that I'd been broken too and that I'd even been broken for you; a carbon copy man whom other natural born humans had argued for centuries as to whether or not you actually had a soul? I paused a moment and smirked before I popped the cracker in my mouth.

"This is the New Testament in my blood which was shed for many for the remission of sins" Captain San Wan went on, as he picked up the cup in front of him.

New Testament in blood. I thought for a moment, while Katook handed me the challis. Blood that splattered across my face. I suddenly felt a bit ill as I peered into the goblet. I can do this. Katook grabbed my arm while I took a deep breath and swallowed a gulp of wine, than handed the cup to Japah. That's always bothered me since the battle of Chaporah. I tried not to think about the flashes of memories that sprinted through my conscience. I could still see them hanging upside down as the life drained from them. The cronkies nearly beat Sentury to death because he refused to drink it. Then they tossed us in a pit and doused us with it.

"Uhh!" I shook the thoughts away, my stomach churning with every memory. What a twisted world. I let out a long sigh as my eyes drifted over toward Japah. He had his head down, staring at the floor between his feet. I reached over and grabbed his arm for I could hear him sniffle. He moved a bit to take hold of my hand. As the four of us sat there clasped together; Captain San Wan started to pray.

My mind entered another meandering path, while I listened to him ask for God's protection. Yes, please protect us all; we certainly need it! I prayed too. The captain went on a minute or so more and I kept thinking of Jesus and the centurion standing beneath him with the spear in his hand. I thought for a moment about that dream I'd had shortly after Echo and Charlie squads had caught up with us at Chaporah. The blood seemed to splash over me endlessly. I remember being disgusted, tormented and full of rage. Than I looked up and realized that the soldier standing at the foot of the cross was me.

Several weeks passed while I strove to stop this odd dream from driving me mad. I tried to talk, but couldn't open my mouth. _(Other than I did manage to thank the sargent of Charlie Company for burying the rest of our squad.) _I guess I'd kind of snapped at that point. As much as I wanted to help lay my brothers to rest; I just couldn't do it. I knew something about me needed to be fixed, but I had such a hard time wrapping my hands around it? It seemed the more I tried to catch my mind, the more it slipped away from me!

They sent the four of us to the torture victims asylum on Aardat for rehabilitation. That's where we'd met Shiloh. His squad had fallen victim to a far different form of twisted torture though. They'd spent almost 3 years as captives and though most of them survived the imprisonment; only two of them were still alive 18 months after release. Those that perished, had done so by their own hand.

My thoughts came back to Captain San Wan's closing benediction. Thank You God. I sighed as I stood up and hugged all my brothers.

"I love you guys." I mumbled to each of them.

"We love you too." Sentury laughed, wrapping his arms around me and kissing the side of my face. "Now let's go find our lost brother!"

I will fear no evil thing. I said to myself while we headed down the hall, back up to the main corridor and the briefing rooms to see if the remainder of our crew had arrived. Sure enough, they had and they were patiently awaiting our return; complete with Lattes in hand.

"Oooh, I want one of those!" I snickered, making my best attempt to lift the pilot's.

"Get away from my coffee you creepy clone!" He snickered back as he carefully sheltered his mug, much the same way Katook had earlier today.

"You guys are way to predictable." Professor Drake shook his head.

"It's fun being a clone." The pilot retorted.

"Yeah, we get to annoy guys like you!" I grinned at the professor while he just let out a sigh of exasperation and walked away.

After a brief exchange of all necessary (and some unnecessary) pleasantries; we continued on to board the ship. We followed the engineers and mechanics through all the pre-flight checks before we took up positions in our assigned duties. We'd all done this in the flight simulator so many times; we could do it in our sleep. That was OK though. The mundaneness of all that training made the real thing worth it. I was looking forward to this trip actually. What was out there? What would we find? I smiled to myself as I flipped through my sequence of buttons and checks. Alright Lord. I quietly chuckled. Here I am - send me!

We lifted off, maneuvered out of the hanger and waited for clearance from ground control to hit the great unknown. We may have been on an important scientific endeavor; but we still had to wait our turn for take off. When we finally got the green light; we shot into space looking much like any other defense transport that was in a hurry to get somewhere.

After I'd done my part at programing navigation and checking the weapons systems, I took some time to look around the lodgings that would be our humble abode for the next few weeks. This ship was a typical class B transport flyer with a "few" modifications and a smaller crew compliment than was usual for this breed. That was fine with me though; gave us a bit more room. Not that clones really need more room; since we kind of pride ourselves in fitting into wee spaces others couldn't occupy without killing each other. A little bigger wee space was good too though. I chuckled while I logged in my mind all who were aboard.

I am Navigation programer and weapons system support.

Katook is tactical and shields monitor.

Japah: internal environmental and cloaking control.

Sentury is the co-pilot and in charge of the power cells.

Our pilot's name is Dart

Dr. Salichika is the mission's chief medical officer.

Professor Drake is the main engineer.

Our mechanical navigation engineer is a Savawarhian man named Troke.

Captain San Wan of course, is the mission's commanding officer.

And another Earth born human named Joel is in charge of everything else. Basically if it breaks, he's suppose to help fix it. If it is misplaced, he's suppose to put it away. If it's lost, he's suppose to find it. If it needs supplying, he's suppose to stock it. If it's dirty, he's suppose to clean it and if it's hungry, he's suppose to feed it. Poor guy, I certainly don't want his job!

It wasn't long before we were well outside of Aardat's orbit and the command for a full systems check commenced. That took about fifteen minutes and after Captain San Wan concurred with ground control; he gave the OK to engage the warp drive.

"Check." the various stations went down the list in response to the questions of our readiness. Lastly, we all dawned our protective face shields.

"Engage." Captain San Wan gave the command and within a microsecond we were in warped space.

I checked my navigational sensors and patiently waited for the next command. My task that was to follow, would be adjusting the coordinates to compensate for the trajectory the super warp would send us on. I looked up momentarily at the blur of pure light that enveloped the ship. Every window radiated a soft glow that made it seem like we were sitting in a faded photograph.

I always found that aspect of warp travel rather fascinating. Here is the closest we'd ever get in our own mortality to actually touching the light. It wasn't uncommon for people to get spooked by the iridescent glow that increasingly permeated the ship the faster you went. It made everything seem like you were going in slow motion. I always found it comforting though. My imagination liked to go wild with either images of Christ suddenly appearing on the bridge, or us mysteriously breaking the time eternity continuum and sliding right into the throne room of heaven. Oh the fantasies of a silly clone. I chuckled.

Well, we may not be too far from that reality. I began to muse as the series of orders came down in preparation for the jump to super warp. Either this is actually going to work, or I _will_ be standing in the throne room of God! Honestly, I'd much rather it be the latter; but either way - I'm as ready as I'll ever be for the ride. I checked my screen and commenced with my sequence of duties. Japah was the last in the series.

"Well folks." I heard Captain San Wan's rather informal last command. "God speed!" He said. "Engage!"

"Uhh." I groaned as I tried to shake the fog out of my head. My brain felt like Jello.

"What happened?" I heard a mumble over my com-link.

"I don't know, but I got one hell of a headache." Came a response.

"Do you guys feel that?" Came another voice. "Are we dead?"

"Feel what?" I heard Professor Drake.

"No, you're not dead." The doctor answered.

"Than how come it feels like I got sucked into a black hole?" Came an inquire.

"Me too." I mumbled as I shook my head and my eyes began to come back into focus.

I popped the seal and pushed my helmet off. It tumbled out of my hands onto the deck. I glanced around at everyone in the ship. Every thing _looked _normal; but it certainly didn't _feel_ normal.

"I think we landed at the bottom of some ocean!" Japah muttered. "Or at least that's what it seems like." He continued nearly sounding despairing. "The darkness... is suffocating."

"You guys must be feeling something we aren't." Dr. Salichika observed as she got up and grabbed a medical scanner. "You don't seem...different?" She puzzled. "Professor Drake, Joel: how do you feel?" She suddenly switched directions.

"Other than feeling a little rattled; I'm fine." The professor answered.

"Me too." Joel nodded.

"Must be something about the clones' DNA." The doctor concluded.

"Either that or we've entered the gates of hell!" Sentury sighed.


	5. Chapter 5 A Very Different Clone Army

_**A Very Different Type of Clone Army:**_

Well, about fifteen or so minutes passed before we'd sort of readjusted ourselves to what ever this odd environment we'd been suddenly thrust into was. We clones had been clumsily trudging about the compartments of this ship, like we had cement blocks adhered to our boots. Than suddenly, something really weird happened. Sentury was readjusting the navigation sensors and trying to boost the power cell relay output when one of his screw drivers rolled off the consol and half way across the deck.

"Grrr." He grumbled as he leaned over to grab it. "Get over here." He mumbled while he reached his hand out, as if he could some how make it come to him.

Suddenly, the tool flew toward Sentury smacking into his hand.

"_**What the...?"**_ Sentury jumped to his feet and tossed the implement on the floor. The remainder of us did absolutely nothing but stare.

"What'd you do?" Professor Drake broke in after a few eternal moments of silence. "Do it again." He encouraged, and rather gleefully at that.

Sentury turned and glared at him. "I didn't do anything." His voice quivered a bit. "I...I think it's _haunted_." He gestured at the lone screw driver laying on the deck.

"I saw what he did." Katook suddenly volunteered. "Get over here." He repeated as he held his hand out, looking as if he was concentrating real hard.

The tool wiggled a bit and than suddenly flew toward Katook. He flinched before he shielded it's assail with both hands. After he'd actually caught the thing; (much to his own surprise) he stood there momentarily grinning at it. This object that seemed to now be controlled by unforseen forces. Katook let go of the screw driver and as it fell to the floor; he forcefully stuck his hands out and it stopped in mid air.

"Nakam." Katook suddenly looked up at me while the tool hit the deck. He glanced back down at it. "Use your mind." He mumbled to me. "And...catch." He instructed as he made a gesture like he was shoving it toward me.

Alright? I thought to myself as the screw driver hurdled sort of directionless through the air and I reached my hand out.

"Hey git over here!" I suddenly yelled at it, as it passed and I tried real hard to grab it. I thought I'd missed, when the screw driver unexpectedly diverted course and came to me.

"What?" I sat puzzled, staring at this tool that seemed to lay so normally in my hands now. That's kind of scary. I thought to myself as I looked up and glanced around at all the faces bestowing me with their undivided attention.

"I..I don't think this is right." I apprehensively whispered as I carefully lay the screw driver on the consol before me. "Men aren't meant to have this kind of power."

"Let me try." I heard Professor Drake suddenly interrupt.

My eyes drifted over toward him as I could see he was striving in substantial pain to move the implement in question. He kept thrusting his hand in my direction and than clam-shelling his fingers together, as if he was trying to pinch molecules of oxygen between them; all the while wearing this ghastly visage. Consequentially, it wasn't too long before snickers started to fill the bridge. Professor Drake slowly opened one eye.

"Uhmmm." He cleared his throat and quickly sat up.

"Are you OK?" Captain San Wan cautiously inquired, while Professor Drake casually nodded in confirmation, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all. "Well good." The captain muttered. "Thought we were gonna have to give you something there."

Professor Drake cast a suspicious glance in the captain's direction while the rest of us commenced with our best efforts to conceal our amusement.

"Hey, don't laugh _too_ hard." The captain warned us. "That's what you guys look like after about a week in the desert and too many ration bars!"

"Uhhh" All us clones began to groan while we instinctively held our stomachs. Oh yeah, we all remember that unfortunately! You're hitting the sands; drink lots of water... more... more water. Don't stop now because if you don't put enough in one end; they'll be squirting it up the other! Oh man, sometimes life in this army really spits the proverbial stinky stuff!

Enough with that; we can spare ourselves the imagery! I chuckled with a sigh as I turned my attention back to the screw driver. I wonder if these new found powers have something to do with this oppressive darkness we feel? Well, there wasn't much time to ponder that hypothesis when the sensor light on my panel began to blink.

"Something's dropping out of warp!" I warned as Japah quickly scrambled to his control and engaged the cloak.

Suddenly a massive spear-head shaped battle cruiser appeared right before us. It quickly came to a dead stop; seemingly confused by the little ship that had been there and now was not? We engaged shields and shot up in evasive maneuver pattern Charlie while our large visitor attempted to prob the space before them. Suddenly, they began to fire at where we'd been. Katook engaged the communication and translation dampener while we slowly backed off toward some planet's moon.

"Cody how could you loose them?" A voice hissed over the translator.

"Sir, they have to be here somewhere... Sir." Came the tentative reply. "There was no jump to hyperspace... Sir."

"_**Jedi tricks!"**_ The first voice hissed again. "_**Find them and destroy them!" **_It demanded.

"What should we do sir?" Dart turned to the captain.

"Set up a negative particle ion scan. I don't think they'd detect that. Once you find their weapons relay, disable it; than let's get the hell out of here!"

We commenced the scan and sure enough; the expended particle energy lit up their weapons relays like a front porch flood light. The massive ship began to turn about.

"Fire." The captain said soberly as the spark of a phase variant photon torpedo streaked through space.

The battle ship returned a hailstorm of blast fire in the direction of the torpedo, but we were nowhere to be found. By the time they caught the torpedo's ion trail it was too late. It had already fried their relays and their whole power grid was beginning to collapse.

"They have no shields!" Japah suddenly blurted out. "Who sends a battle cruiser without shields?"

"Apparently they lack the technology." Captain San Wan stood up and walked toward the bridge's main view screen. "Hit the sight of impact with a proton blast. That should stop the phase variant so they all don't suffocate out here."

"What about their weapons?" Professor Drake inquired. "They did threaten to destroy us."

"Well yes, we have the right to defend ourselves; but we don't have to commit genocide to do so." Captain San Wan answered. "Katook, what's their weapons status."

"Sir, _**all**_ the relays are fried; not only can't they shoot back, they aint going anywhere, nor can they call for help." Katook answered.

"Very poor power grid design." Sentury mumbled as he turned to the captain. "Sir, if we fire a proton blast; we could knock the whole system out."

"Well!" The captain contemplated. "If we don't fire the proton blast; we know the phase variant will totally collapse the grid in minutes. If the proton blast takes the grid down; let's just hope they have escape pods. Either way, they're going to come looking for us. We've got to get out of here." Captain San Wan paused a minute.

"God speed and fire at will." He gave a sobering final command.

I coordinated with Katook and we sent one lone proton blast into the sight where the torpedo had hit. The ship's power flickered and within minutes we noticed swarms of smaller craft come flooding out. Some appeared to be escape pods, some fighter planes. We watched momentarily in a certain shock as the small fighters' navigation was obviously malfunctioning. They began to Kami-Kasai crash into each other, as well as the hull of the battle cruiser.

"Shall we jump to warp sir?" Dart inquired of the captain.

"Not just yet." Captain San Wan replied. "Nakam, scan for other ships. I'm sure more will be on their way. In the mean time; let's see if we can grab one of their escape pods. I want to know who these Jedi are and why they fired on us unprovoked?"

So we sat quietly under cloak for about 10 minutes, while I watched the scanners intently. We moved cautiously, crept out from behind the moon and snagged the nearest unsuspecting escape pod with a tractor beam.

"**Here they come!"** I warned when my sensor flasher began to wink at me.

"Pull that pod into cargo bay two. As soon as it's inside our shield grid; jump to warp. It's small enough to drag with us." Captain San Wan commanded. "Troke, put us just outside 5 light years current coordinates. Doctor, take Nakam and Joel with you to the cargo hold. I'll meet you back there in ten."

"Yes Sir." I responded as the three of us swiftly exited.

"Professor Drake, you will have the bridge." We heard the captain say.

We ran to the cargo bay as the yellow alert signal began to sound.

"Four, Three, Two." The main navigation systems computer began to count as we braced for warp jump. "One."

Joel and I pulled Dr. Salichika off the floor as we all continued on to the cargo bay. We were now in warped space headed someplace other than "here". The next question was, did our guests make it into the cargo hold?

The bay doors were just beginning to seal when we made it to the port side entrance. We engaged a containment shield around the pod before we entered the area. The pod looked to be in pretty bad shape, but there were survivors. The containment shield was registering life signs.

"It looks like we have five humanoid males; two survived, three did not." Dr. Salichika commented after a check of the main computer's medical scanner. "One of the survivors appears to be injured."

"Are they armed?" I inquired.

"I don't think so." The doctor answered. "The containment shield sensor is picking up no weapons."

We walked around the pod till we could see it's portal view.

"I think they're clone soldiers." Joel said as he peered in the window. "They have similar armor to you guys and they all appear to be the same size and shape." He mumbled to me.

"And yes, there are weapons with them; but they do not appear to be... functioning." Joel pointed at the window.

"Oh yeah." I said as I peered in myself. "Old style bolt charge blaster weapons." I commented. "Certainly not the most recent military armament technology; yet still dangerous." I instructed as I watched one of the men inside the pod desperately trying to find a charge that still worked. "I suggest we knock them out." I commented as I drew my phase pistol, adjusted the settings and fired into the pod. The man fiddling with the rifle passed out, while the other; (assuming his buddy was dead) quickly jutted his hands in the air.

"Wait." Joel tapped me as I set sights on the other. "I think he's actually shaking?" He mumbled as he peered a bit closer. I too paused a moment for a more rigorous observation.

"Hum?" I pondered. "Set the translator. Let's see if this is a trick." I said.

Dr. Salichika handed Joel a photon torch, as she adjusted the settings on the containment field. I waited momentarily while Joel sliced through the support beams of the front port viewer. Than we used a cargo crane to pop the window.

"Come on out here." I told the soldier who still bore an odd twitch. "If you come quietly, I won't stun you." I waited momentarily, while the computer translated. The soldier responded by slowly crawling toward me.

"Well, I guess the translator works." Joel commented.

"Guess so." I replied as the computer proceeded to translate our conversation as well. Joel glanced over at me and let out a chuckle.

"Are you injured?" I asked the soldier.

No. He shook his head.

"OK, turn around." I said as the trooper slowly complied.

"Rather obedient." Joel muttered as I handed him my phase pistol and ventured inside the containment field.

"I guess I would be too, if I had a thermal detonator attached to my back." I mumbled as I detached the device, pulled out my handy 'bomb popper', pried the end off and disabled it.

"Was it activated?" Joel inquired a bit nervously.

"No." I answered. "But what kind of army walks around with nuclear bombs attached to their belts? These kinds of weapons are suppose to produce fusion reactions, of usually some sort of chemical. They don't get hot enough to work the way their suppose to though. Maybe if you threw this thing into a volcano?" I shook my head and tossed it on the floor behind me. "Initially when you lob one of those at an object; it's chemical reaction is a thermal detonation. Once it comes in contact with what it's intended to destroy; the explosion usually creates radio active isotopes. So essentially the thing is a miniature, portable atomic bomb."

I spun the soldier around and removed his belt. There didn't seem to be anything in there of much consequence; so I threw it on the floor behind me too. His armor appeared to be made out of some combination plastoid-alloy material. This was probably affective against the type of weaponry he commonly employed, or was exposed to; but not phase variant weapons. Plastic and metals are a hard mix. They characteristically come out quite brittle. I mused a moment as I fiddled with the seal on this soldier's helmet.

"Let's see what you look like." I commented as I'd finally managed to pull his pot off.

He looked at me momentarily and than glanced around, as the remainder of the cargo bay had become busy with Japah, Katook and Dr. Salichika transferring the dead and wounded to a different local. The doctor actually used a transporter beam to send the unconscious man directly to sick bay. How does that actually work? It's always fascinated me! I pondered a moment.

"So..so you guys are clones?" The soldier quietly mumbled. It took a minute for the computer to pick it up though.

"Yes, we are." I answered as Dr. Salichika handed me a translator chip. The soldier looked at me strangely as I plugged it in behind my ear.

"Computer, shut off translator." She instructed as she exited the cargo bay.

"Are you the new clones that are suppose to replace us?" The soldier muttered another question.

"No." I shook my head a bit puzzled. "Technology doesn't jump _that_ fast!" I chuckled as the man's eyes drifted down my armor. He seemed a bit ashamed of himself.

"Who are you than?" He glanced up at me. "A new order of Jedi?"

"No." I answered again. "Matter of fact; we don't even know what Jedi are. We were hoping you would enlighten us?"

"Oh." The soldier just mumbled. "Where did you come from than?" He posed another tentative question. "If you don't mind me asking... that is?" He shrugged rather meekly.

"From a galaxy far far away." I cracked a smile.

"So Nakam, who do we have here?" I heard Captain San Wan's voiced as he came walking around the pod.

"Well sir, They are clones from an army. Obviously their technology isn't as advanced as ours." I glanced over at the captain. "Than he asked me if we were the new clones that were suppose to replace him and if not; were we a new order of Jedi?"

"Hum?" Captain San Wan rubbed his chin a bit and than crossed his arms and looked up at the soldier.

"Obi Wan Kanobi!" The man mumbled in shock. "_**Do you have his soul?**_" The soldier blurted out, suddenly sounding a bit alarmed.

"No?" Captain San Wan looked inquisitively at him and shook his head. "God is the possessor of men's souls, not me."

"But you are a Jedi; aren't you? And how did you get such advanced technology?" The soldier began to babble. "Man, if dark lord Vader ever caught you guys; than he'd be invincible and we'd be forever trapped!" He began to panic. "And what will he do to me if I don't tell him?" The soldier began to tick. "Where's my bucket?" He mumbled as he swung around in a circle. "Good clones never loose their blasters." His eyes darted back and forth as smacked his hands on his head and wheeled another frantic 360.

"Hey." I said as I reached out and grabbed this trooper by the shoulders to stop his endless spinning.

"It... it.. it's you?" The panicked trooper suddenly stopped and stared at me with big saucer eyes. _**"They cloned a Jedi!"**_ He exclaimed in apparent horror.

"Nakam?" I heard Captain San Wan question as I attempted to calm our guest.

"What sir?" I asked.

"What the hell is a Jedi?" The captain inquired.

"I have no idea sir!" I answered.

A good 45; (or so) minutes passed before we'd managed to calm our schizophrenic soldier friend. Captain San Wan instructed me to take him to our mess. He'd later send Dr. Salichika down to examine him; but in the mean time, figured feeding the poor sap was a pretty good option.

"So did the Kaminoans make you, or were you hatched out of a Spaarti cylinder?" My new companion fired his questions as we walked down the hall.

"I've heard about those cylinders." He continued. "They make clones in one year! Not very good ones though."

"How old are you anyways?" He tracked down a new line of questioning. "You can't be that old, I've never seen you before. You're not a Jango clone... are you?"

He paused a moment and stared at me looking a bit perplexed.

"But you seem nice, so maybe you were made by the Kallidahins?" The soldier continued to babble unintelligibly. "But than again? You have a face... so?"

I too paused a moment; looked at our friend and let out a sigh. Was his whole army this... _chatty_?

"What's your name?" I finally asked.

"I'm CT-2459 Sir, yes sir!" The soldier barked out, while I just raised one eyebrow at him.

"You don't have a name?" I inquired.

"Ahh yeah." He sheepishly grinned. "My friends called me Jester." His voice suddenly dropped. "But... but their not around anymore."

"Oh, well I'm sorry to hear that." I told him, as I thought about oh how well I knew that feeling too. "So who were your friends?" I asked, trying to make a bit of small talk.

"Well there was Gus and Sketch and Punch and Chopper." He answered, surprisingly happily. "But than there was Sargent Slick. He got arrested for treason." He suddenly volunteered. "I always wondered about that?" He paused thoughtfully.

"Well Sketch was my best brother." Jester continued. "Always stuck up for me and stuff. I get kind of nervous sometimes. Tell me to shut up if I talk too much!"

I let out a chuckle. "No, tell me about your brothers." I smiled, figuring letting him talk may help his apparent state of confusion.

"Oh well I miss Sketch." Our nervous trooper sighed. "He used to hang out with me sometimes after battles and clean his weapon too. He used to say that I got a little obsessive over having a clean blaster; but a clone is nothing without his blaster!" Jester declared as he swept his hand in a cutting motion across his body.

"Hum." I just commented.

"Than there was Gus and Punch." The trooper continued. "Gus got grabbed on Geonosis and I guess he ended up with one of those worms in his brain!" He rambled on in a rather high pitched frenzy before he suddenly stopped again. "I never saw him after that." Jester stated rather flatly; as if all this remembering had finally shut down his emotions. I just raised one eyebrow at him. Worm in his brain? I cringed.

"Punch, well he later caught the Blue Shadow Virus." Jester suddenly picked up from where he'd been and went on. "I'm not sure how that happened because supposedly they found a cure for it?" He paused to catch his breath. "We do their bidding and we die. Maybe Slick was right?" Jester looked at me. "Do you think Slick was right?" He asked.

"I don't know." I just shrugged.

"Than there was Chopper. They were suppose to send him back to Kamino to be reconditioned. Said he was defective." Jester abruptly halted and looked searchingly at me. "Do they kill you guys?" He whispered.

I stood and looked at him a bit confused. "Who?" I asked.

"The cloners." Jester replied. "What do they do if you're defective?" He asked a seemingly genuine question.

"No-one's ever told any of us that we were defective." I answered.

"Oh." He whispered.

We entered the mess and had a seat by the coffee dispenser. Katook was at the next table, going through scan logs. When he saw us, he got up, came over and set his electronic data pad on the table.

"Well, I've just spent the last half hour going through sensor scans." He said. "You all want a cup of coffee?" He sighed as he peered into his empty mug. "Think I'm ready for a refill!"

"Sure." I said as I grabbed Katook's pad and took a look for myself.

"What about you?" He gestured at Jester; who just sat there glancing around confused.

"Oh yeah." I chuckled as I eyed Katook. "Translation chip; you gotta go see the doc." I grinned. "He can't understand you."

"Oh, OK." Katook nodded knowingly. "Well, what do you think he'd like to eat. I'll grab you all some lunch first."

"Replicator, or is someone actually cooking it?" I grinned hopefully.

"Take a guess." Katook giggled. "Captain San Wan wants chili tonight though; so you know where Joel is right now! Sentury's helping him though." Katook winked.

"Oooh!" I rubbed my hands together. "Well, I suppose dinner will be an adequate compensation!" I nodded.

Katook returned a few minutes later with a couple of simple sandwiches, two mugs and a carafe of coffee. Than he picked up his data pad and headed out of the mess with his own refill. Just as Katook walked out though; Dr. Salichika walked in.

She came over to us with some instructions for me, as to where to take Jester once he was done eating. She explained that he was to go to sick bay, so he can be treated for an array of viruses he was evidently infected with. I'd learn later that these clones were essentially of an unaltered human genome; although they'd been infected with some different viral DNA strands which the cloners used to affect aspects of their growth, development and mental 'trainablilty'. Dr. Salichika believed she could stabilize our friend's mental state, but that we were actually dealing with a 12 to 13 year old in an adult's body. Some of these clones faired better than others though. She had indicated. But just like us - I suppose there were a lot of contributing factors to that.

Either way, I wish you well friend. I sighed to myself as I watched this trooper gobble down his lunch with a certain bit of amazement that we were feeding him at all. What kind of an army is this? I wondered as I quietly observed his quirky nervous mannerisms. And Dear God, what have we gotten ourselves into?


	6. Chapter 6 A Clone by Any Other Name

_**A clone by any other name is... almost the same: **_

Well, nearly 48 hours have passed and we've gathered a tad more intelligence about this strange new universe we seem to have landed our...asteroids in. Our friend Jester is much more himself (as he states) than he was when we'd first found him. He is calmer and making more sense this previous day. Dr. Salichika has had him in the medical bay, sleeping in a decontamination chamber these past two to three nights. Has it been two or three? I don't remember.

Time here feels like it passes in slow motion. I can't seem to figure out if that's another quirk of this world, or just a quirk of my perception of it? Either way, I've decided that I don't really like it here and I'm ready to go back home. This place just feels like one bad nightmare. One bad waking nightmare; kind of like a PTSD flashback. Did this really happen?

Any ways, despite my personal trepidation; others on this voyage seem to have an enchantment with this power Jester calls "the Force". Or rather is it "the force"? I'm not sure? This strange thing that seems to elevate men to God-like status. Seems like a play on trickery to me. Especially seeing how Jester describes this Darth Vader personality. He used to be some good guardian of a noble republic; (which has apparently toppled to a less than respectable empire). Jester holds great dread of this man; who can apparently manipulate this "force" to do his evil bidding. If that's truly the case, than this "force" can't really be _"THE FORCE"_ for with HIM there is no shadow of turning.

What kind of schizophrenic world would we live in if the omnipotent Creator was constantly battling his own evil? My mind began to wander. If God were in conflict with Himself; this universe would just cease to exist. I reminded... me of a theological fact I'd concluded upon many years ago now. The "glue" of His mercy is literally what holds us together!

Well enough with worrying about evil. I forced my mind to focus on better thoughts. We just have to guard against it sneaking up behind us and biting us in the asteroids. I chuckled. That, or getting sucked down with it! Now that would really bite! I shook my head at my own idiotic antics. Either way, not an insurmountable task. I smiled to myself. God is greater than any enemy; even death. I will fear no evil thing. I grinned joyfully as I strode into the medical bay and peeked in a window. Jester was happily conversing with Captain San Wan and Dr. Salichika. Kind of like Katook; I mused a bit. It's good to see someone restored to sanity.

I waved at Jester as he hoped off the decon bed and came strolling over.

Hello Nakam. I watched him mouth the words and wave as he approached the quarantine door. The pressure valve released and the air came hissing out, while Jester too emerged from his own personal zip-locked barrack.

"Good morning." I smiled. "Ready to eat?"

"Oh Yeah!" Jester grinned real big as he rubbed his hands together. "So what's on the menu this morning?" He inquired. "I liked those puffy doughy things we had yesterday; with the nuts on them and the sweet sauce."

"French bread breakfast casserole." I answered. "That's Dr. Salichika's baby." I winked at her, as she returned an endearing expression of satisfied pride. "Complete with syrup from a real maple tree." I added as I flashed my own contented gratitude for such yummy fair. We waved to the good doctor before commencing our meander toward the mess. I'm starting to sound like Katook. I mused a bit before we went on.

"So what goodies do you have?" I inquired as we strolled down the hall.

"Well, there's lots of stuff. I guess." Jester shrugged. "We clones don't hardly get any of it though. Most of the food our galley serves up is pretty bland. Well, except donuts." Jester grinned again. "We all like those."

"Well I suppose that's one thing about clone armies." I chuckled. "Ask one guy what he likes and you know what to feed everyone."

"Yeah, I guess." Jester laughed a bit.

"They take really good care of you guys; don't they?" He suddenly changed directions again as he glanced over at me a minute or so.

"Huh?" I paused, as it seamed I wasn't really paying too close attention to what he'd said.

"Who ever cloned you." Jester answered. "They take good care of you. I can tell. You all seem pretty happy."

"Hum." I flashed a reflexive observation as I contemplated Jester; eyes full of pain and countenance etched in unresolved conflict. "The blessings we take for granted." I ruminated a moment. "I guess you're right." I told him. "For all any of us have; I think we complain way too much." I chuckled.

"Maybe." Jester sighed as his troubled gaze dropped to the floor.

"Hey." I said as I put my hand on his shoulder. "Even if we didn't come out of the same gestation chamber; we're still brothers."

We stood there quietly a moment as we each seemed lost in our own little worlds of trying to define, calculate and conclude what being a clone soldier really meant. Jester finally looked up at me.

"Brothers." He said softly. "I haven't heard that in such a long time."

"Not a common terminology?" I inquired as we turned to embark upon our final decent to the mess.

"Well yeah, ... it _was_." Jester replied. "But everything changed after the order."

"This 66 thing?" I confirmed.

"Yeah." He nodded. "It's kind of weird looking back at it now." He began to recollect "After it happened, we all walked around like we were in some sort of haze. Like what ever conscience we'd ever had was just sort of... gone?" He paused a moment and anxiously wrung his hands. "Well not really gone, because we all still knew the basic difference between right and wrong; but it was like that didn't matter any more." Jester shrugged as if he didn't really believe what he'd been told. "Everyone else was doing... what ever and if you didn't do what everyone else was; troopers just kind of looked at you funny." He peered at me a bit apprehensively.

He'd paused a moment to think, after it seems I'd showed him no reason to fear critical assumptions upon my part. After all, who was I to judge upon experiences I'd lived myself. I figured, as I looked at him a moment and than let out an empathetic sigh. Jester smiled, albite a bit timidly before he continued.

"Than discipline started to break down." He went on. "A lot of guys 'got attitude'; but so long as you didn't give it to your commanders, no one really cared what you did. "This is war!" Everyone would say. Well yeah, but I liked it better the other way." Jester nervously looked down at his armor for some place to wipe his one sweaty hand; for we'd removed the communication device from off his right forearm.

"I don't know?" He continued after he'd decided to just pull his hand as far up into his jumper sleeve as he could possibly manage. "Not like the Jedi were perfect either. They certainly had their problems." He anxiously grinned. "They could be arrogant." He gave a half-hearted shrug. "A lot of us died and they had this 'no attachments' thing; which made us wonder if they cared what happened to us at all?" He suddenly looked up at me; an earnestness in his face that seemed to plead: please, someone tell me I'm worth _something_. I simply stopped and put my hand on his shoulder.

"And I suppose that's why most us really didn't have a problem with killing them." Jester gasped a moment at the sound of the words that were spilling from his own lips. "It still wasn't right though." He sucked in a regretful sigh. "I mean there were rumors that some clones even helped their Jedi get away; but they were far and way too few in-between." Jester suddenly stopped and looked strait at me.

"Now look at this empire." He whispered a barely audible utterance "We're executing unarmed civilians just because we can?" His voice trailed off. That can't be right! He mouthed silently.

"No, it's not right." I concurred with him, as I too fought the mournful heaviness that so predominantly hung in the air around us. "But that's been one of humanity's major sins throughout the course of our history." I candidly stated. "We're not the only ones though. We live in a universe where corruption has touched everything."

"Well, I just feel polluted; like my soul..." Jester suddenly stopped and glanced hesitantly at me. "Do you believe we have souls?" He whispered inquisitively.

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't." I chuckled rather simply.

"Yeah, Chopper believed we have souls too." Jester thoughtfully went on. "I don't know, maybe some of the other guys did; but he was the only one I'd ever heard talk about it. He was kind of odd; but I think down inside he was a good guy." Jester paused another minute or so; sort of eyeing me and fidgeting, as if he wasn't sure if he should say any more.

"Yeah." I encouraged him with a nod, while Jester just let out one long tentative sigh.

"Well, Chopper had this necklace of droid fingers he used to string together." Jester launched into his story. "Said he just wanted something back; something back for the brothers he'd lost, the scars on his face, all he'd been through you know." Jester shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe he thought he was somehow making these droids pay for all the suffering?" He sighed. "But seems like we were really the ones paying." He paused a moment to think a bit. "I mean artificial intelligence really feels no pain; does it?" Jester let out a bit of a caustic laugh. "Not like I'd consider those droids 'intelligent'; but anyways." He started to giggle before his voice dropped off again. "I don't know... People said the same things about us."

"He got in trouble for taking contraband off the battle field." Jester continued. "Last thing I'd heard they'd threatened to court-martial him and send him back to Kamino for 'reconditioning'. Which I never understood that." He shook his head in a bit of irony. "They're only machines. It's not like he was cutting body parts off of dead organic enemies!" Jester raised a discerning eyebrow. "Seen guys do that too." He mumbled.

"Hum." I paused momentarily, before I brought back to point Jester's original objection. "Yeah, we pick up all sorts of innocuous crap off battlefields." I smiled. "Weapons, munitions, money; ..." I contemplated all the odd fair I'd personally confiscated. "Flags, stuff left by refugees, uniform emblems, pieces of body armor. We're regular scavengers." I snickered. "We're just not suppose to rob the dead; but guys do. Hell we confiscate stuff from our own dead!"

"So do we." Jester grinned.

"Yeah, I'd agree with you there." I shook my head. "That's ridiculous to court-martial a guy for picking up parts of battle droids."

"Yeah, I guess it is; but it was 'the rules' you know." Jester shrugged again. "Now that I look back at it. I _only_ understood half_ those rules _and maybe _half_ the time? If that?" He snickered a bit.

"Rules!" We both let out a good hearty bellow.

"So what about this sergeant who got arrested for treason?" I probed a bit as we continued to stroll toward the mess door. I wanted to see if I could gage by extrapolation what Jester counted as value for the sake of loyalty. "What was up with that?" I casually inquired.

"He wanted freedom." Jester stated rather sympathetically. "He'd said that once he got paid by the Sepies; he'd give us all some money, so we could run away too. Now that I think about it; I kind of doubt he really would have done that. Give us money and all you know."

"But you really hoped it was true; didn't you?" I concurred with a knowing nod.

"Yeah I did." Jester whispered as he suddenly wiped his face.

"He did some real stupid stuff that put everyone in danger though." Jester grumbled and than let out one long telling breath. "I don't know; I guess maybe it was all the killing that put him over the edge." He glanced nervously at me; seemly searching to see if I _**really**_ understood.

"I know how that is." I simply responded.

Jester let out another sigh.

"We aren't what we used to be." He paused a moment looking as if he was fighting back the tears. "One clone; was the captain of my battalion once. His name was Rex." Jester remembered a bit. "Any ways." He went on. "I once heard he'd said that he fought for all the children of the republic; to save them from an unspeakable horror." Jester's voice trailed off as the tears began to run down his face. "We became that horror." He whispered.

"Well." I whispered too as I sucked in a deep breath. "Don't know if it will help; but I forgive you." I said.

"What?" Jester just looked at me.

"Look you know as well as I do, that it aint the dying that makes cowards of any of us." I said. "It's the killing."

Jester just stood and silently nodded.

"We all try to pick of the best choices we think we have at the time." I ruminated a bit. "There's always choices we can't see and evil is biting at the heels of all of us." I confessed. "But if we make it to the other side of our _own_ transgression and find forgiveness." I told him as I put my hands on his shoulders. "We find the strength to make those other choices next time!"

Jester just looked at me and let out a sigh, when we were suddenly assailed by the cheery hello's of Katook.

"Good morning to you too." I smiled back at Katook.

"Hey!" he slapped me on the back. "What's wrong?" He inquired as he gave Jester a thoughtful nudge.

"Battle fatigue." I answered.

"Oh!" Katook nodded knowingly. "We're _**all**_ a little too familiar with that." He shook his head a bit. "Love can cover a multitude of sins though." Katook told Jester. "Reminds me of an old song I once heard." He turned to me. "Will you love them more than the hate they've spilled. Will you love them back to life again?"

"Oh so you stand corrected than." I laughed.

"What?" Katook looked curiously at me.

"Love can not only cover a multitude of sins; it can raise the dead!" I assuredly replied.

Katook still looked a bit confused. "Oh, love them back to life again!" The light bulb suddenly went on. "Got ya!" He smiled. "Yes, this is most certainly true; love can raise the dead." Katook chuckled as he gave me another good natured wack on the back. "Gotta love this guy." Katook pointed to me as he flashed Jester one of his infamous goofy expressions.

Jester cracked a smile. "You guys are alright." He mumbled.

"All...right; good!" Katook continued with a little play on words. "Now that we've established that everything is wholesome with the universe right now." He cast an awful cringe as we both chuckled. "Let's go eat!"

"I'm with ya there!" Came my enthusiastic reply.

So we meandered lazily through the chow line trying to decide exactly what we wanted to stuff our faces with. Japah was our breakfast boy this morning, so we had to give him a hard time of course. He doth protest loudly though; telling us to stop heckling the cook or we may find some reconstituted giant Begobie worms in our omelets.

OK point well taken; _**I**_ won't bother you Japah!

Can't speak so confidently for Katook though.

"Oh Good morning Dart!" I said as I took up the vacancy next to our pilot.

"Good morning Nakam." Dart responded as he took his last gulp of coffee.

"You want some more?" I inquired with a gesture. "I'm headed that way."

"Yeah, thanks!" Dart smiled as he handed me his mug.

"What'cha drinkin?" I paused a moment.

"Oh Cappuccino." Dart informed me.

"OK." I chuckled at Dart's predictability. "So where's Sentury?" I asked upon my venture to the coffee bar.

"Oh he should be back here soon." Dart answered. "He went to go take some food to that other clone."

"CT number - whatever, whatever, whatever." I chuckled.

"Yeah, the clone formally known as..." Dart laughed. "He never _did _give us a name."

"PITA" Katook offered as he set his tray down and headed toward me.

"Pain in the... _donkey_." I muttered. "Yeah, that fits him."

"He-haw, he-haw!" Katook added some lib, complete with flapping ear illustrations just to get the point across.

I just glared at him and shook my head.

"Hey, you said it!" He chided me.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I waved him away.

"You guys are so... batch buddy!" Dart laughed at us.

"Batch buddy?" We heard Jester mumble.

"Yeah." I answered as I took my seat. "Clones in a batch that share the same gestation chamber are called 'batch buddies'." I explained. "Katook and I grew up together and so did Japah and Sentury. We were all in the same cloning facility; had our training together."

"So they keep you guys.. in toto?" Jester asked.

"Yes, they try." I went on. "When we're finally fully grown; they put us in the same battalion. Sentury, Japah and us two were in the same squad. We'd all been.." I hesitated a moment. "We'd all been prisoners of war." I quietly whispered. "The rest of our brothers, we'd grown up with; were killed." I paused a moment to remember them; and than let out one last long sigh. "The four of us were in rehabilitation when we took a study and medical assignment at a college; from there we took this assignment."

"Oh." Jester began to look a little nervous. "Re..rehabilitation, sounds like reconditioning?" He hesitantly inquired.

"Oh no, rehabilitation isn't a bad thing." I reassured Jester. "They'd sent us to a torture survivors hospital facility on a planet called Aardat."

"They help you come to terms with all the bad crap." Katook added. "That's all; it's a safe place."

"Oh." Jester tried to smile as he stuck his shaking hands under the table. He looked white as a ghost. "Safe places are good." He quietly mumbled.

"You know your safe here!" Katook inarguably nodded as he gave Jester a little nudge.

"Y..yeah, I think?" Jester stammered as he took in a deep breath. "I..I mean..ah..." He paused a moment. "You all seem so nice. I..I just don't think I've ever really been... _safe_?" He paused another moment as he looked around at all of us. "I mean.. at least I don't think I have." He let out one last sigh. "I..I want to go back to my decontamination chamber." Jester looked at me a little wild eyed.

"You feel safe in there." I made an observation.

Jester nodded rather meekly.

"Do you want to go now or do you want to finish eating?" I inquired.

"I want to go now." He whispered.

"OK." I sighed, doing my best to not sound annoyed.

"I'll take him." Dart quickly volunteered. "I'm done."

"Sorry." Jester mumbled.

"No, don't worry about it." Dart told Jester. "He's just tired. He pulled my duty shift last night. He's not mad at you. He just wants to go to sleep!" He chuckled as he poked me a couple of times. "You want to take it with you; or are you done?" Dart inquired of Jester's breakfast.

"I'm done." Jester quietly answered as Dart picked up both of their trays and the two of them headed out of the mess and back down to sick bay.

Sentury and Japah joined us for the remainder of our breakfast, while I fought hard to not fall asleep in my eggs. It'd been a long night; most of which I spent going through tactical scans with Katook. We were trying to see what other sort of weaponry this empire may have had. We did manage to hack some information off the escape pod's computer. We also tapped the clones' helmets for data; which did prove to be a bit useful. The good news is that we think we picked up the ion trail of the first super warp research ship. It's kind of hard to miss, seeing how it's the only ship (besides us) that has this specific warp signature. The particle trail is pretty degraded though. Professor Drake is working on some sort of algorithm to try and extrapolate where it may have went. Got me though; I'm certainly not an engineer!

Besides that; the five of us have been taking turns tag teaming these two clones. Jester is far more cooperative than the other fellow. I think we'd make better headway, if we just ran him through the decon cycles too. At this point though he's refusing; so, I think the captain is trying to figure out what to do with him. Jester on the other hand, has been very helpful. All of what he's told us has matched the scan findings too; so it seems he's telling the truth. I think he honestly just wants to see a better life for himself; a life of more freedom - I suppose. Freedom is never free though and it seems to me that these clones have paid an awful high price. An awful high price for their enslavement.

Are we much different though? I don't know? Katook and I have had long conversations over this. I guess if any of us really had objections to being in this army they'd release us; or at least release us from combat duty. There are plenty of other things to do in our clone army society. I guess everyone at some point or another gets reassigned to something other than fighting. How much freedom do any of us really have though? Even those who aren't clone soldiers? Too many questions right now for such little sleep. Despite all this though; I still like it here. I can't imagine my life any other way and despite the hardships; I wouldn't trade my existence for anyone else's. I like me and I like my army. I chuckle to myself as I watched Katook and Sentury attempting to play table football with a tightly folded napkin.

"Ohhh! Alright you got me!" Sentury conceded. "Good improvise." He congratulated Katook. "But I got to go; have to meet Professor Drake in the engine room in about 10 minutes." He told Katook as he checked his communicator.

"Well, we gotta go too." Katook replied. "Time for a nap!" He chuckled.

We all waited a few more minutes for Japah to finish eating before we headed out in our own directions. Katook and I went back to our quarters, while Sentury and Japah reported for duty. Been a real long two days and feels like I've been awake for all of them. I muse as Katook and I dragged our drained carcasses into our clone barracks. We both peeled off our armor and I plunked down in the bunk, followed by Katook who plunked down next to me.

"How you doing Katook." I laughed. "Been a long time since I've actually seen you."

"Yeah, I know." He chuckled. "Seems like we've been awake since we got here."

"Yeah it does." I sighed. "I don't know how anyone can live in this universe. I feel like every time I lay down to go to sleep, the darkness is just going to suffocate me."

"I know." Katook responded as he pulled the covers up and his pillow down over his face. "Ahhh!" He growled. "I'm just glad I'm not in that _other_ clone army!" I heard a mumble from under the bedding.

"I hear ya!" I chuckled as I peered over at Katook who was still 'hiding' from the evil. "Remember how we used to curl up together in the corner of the bunk when we were little?" I laughed as I let out a sigh, folded my arms over my abdomen and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. "We'd pull all the covers up over our heads with only little air holes so we could breathe. We'd hide there from the 'bad guys'." I laughed.

"Yeah, that was funny!" Katook snickered as he pulled his pillow off his face. "One of those things I miss about being 'unaltered'." He sighed. "Being able to snuggle up to you without feeling weird about it."

"I hear ya." I glanced over at him and shook my head. "I sometimes look at Sentury and Japah when they're out cold and think to myself: how lucky they are to be able to get that close together without even the thought of whether or not they'd excite each other."

"The advantages of asexuality." Katook laughed. "Yeah, I think about that too. Did we open pandora's box when we agreed to be 'restored'? I mean look at what happened to Shiloh and his squad."

"Yeah but there's a difference there. They were pretty much drugged and coerced into it. That had less to do with their biology and more to do with Feorian perversion than anything else." I reminded Katook. "They weren't exactly willing participants."

"Well Yeah, that's true." Katook agreed. "But still, look at what it did to them. Even with all the crap that's happened to us; I thank God we never went through _**that**_!" He sighed. "I couldn't imagine losing you to something so sick."

"And I wouldn't want to lose you that way either." I chuckled as I turned and looked at Katook. "Granted, I don't want you to get killed; but even if you do, at least we'd both know we still loved each other."

"Yeah." Katook pondered a moment. "But I don't think it was, that Shiloh and his squad mates didn't all still love each other; it's just that they couldn't be near one another with out being triggered by something." Katook sighed. "The trafficers really messed with their minds."

"Yeah they did." I whispered as my eyes drifted back to the ceiling and I fought off the sinking feeling that we were in for something, although different; yet equally as evil. "What a tragedy." I mumbled.

"Yes, it was a tragedy." Katook agreed.

"So what do you think of these other clones?" I suddenly inquired, sort of changing directions. "I mean how do you get an entire army to murder their commanders? I can't figure that one out. That just doesn't make any sense to me?"

"I don't know either." Katook let out a heavy sigh. "I couldn't imagine." He paused a moment as we both lay there quietly absorbed in our own consternation as to how this could actually happen.

"I prayed with Jester, for him and them all yesterday; after you left." Katook finally broke the silence. "He had a real hard time with it. Didn't think God or 'the force'; or what ever, would ever forgive him for what he'd done."

"Yeah, I know." I replied. "He sort of looked at me funny this morning when I told him I forgave him." I chuckled. "Not that _my_ forgiveness would really mean much... I'm not Who he needs."

"No but if you, being a mere fallible mortal, just like he is; can forgive." Katook interrupted. "Just think how much more infinite the forgiveness of God is."

"I never thought about that before; but yeah." I glanced over at him. "Good point."

Katook let out a chuckle.

"Well, my dearest friend and good brother." Katook sighed as he reached over and patted me on the shoulder. "I think we aught to get some sleep. Eight hours comes awfully quick."

"Yeah, I'm tired too." I chuckled a bit. "Good night Katook." I said as I reached across my chest and patted the hand that was still resting on my shoulder. I glanced over at him when he didn't respond. Katook was already asleep.

_Oh Lord help us. I began to pray as I closed my eyes. Protect us from this evil and please help us help these other clones. I don't know why we're here; but maybe for such a reason as they, we were sent? So, please help... _


	7. Chapter 7 Shadow and the Hidden Jedi

_**Shadow and the Hidden Jedi:**_

Another 48 hours have passed and we haven't traveled very far in our attempts to find the first super warp ship; (and hopefully everyone who was in it). We've parked ourselves upon an uninhabited moon for the past 18 hours, recharging our shield power cells. It's a huge drain on energy when you fly around cloaked all the time. Our hours here have not been without profit though. We've managed to tag another one of those large spear shaped battle cruisers for intelligence information. It's been enlightening to say the least.

Jester is doing much better yet; and so is the other clone. Captain San Wan decided to decon "sixty two" in sick bay anyways; even if we had to do it against his will. What ever these viral infections are, seem to affect their minds. Dr. Salichika is still trying to figure that one out. It appears certain clones, who may be more prone to anger as opposed to anxiety will respond differently to the infections. We're guessing the predisposition to certain states of mind are a byproduct of their experiences in cloning facilities. Neither of these guys seem to have been particularly well treated.

Besides this though, what ever combination of elements were in their gestation chambers surely is a contributing factor. The cloners also used an accelerated maturation agent on these poor souls; which never turns out well. Our own planetary confederation learned that centuries ago; thus accelerated growth was outlawed way back when our constitution was drawn up. Which I think is a good thing. I like new 'born' clones. I began to muse a bit, as the first memories I'd ever had of clone nurseries came to mind.

I'd probably been in the baby day quarters many times before; this was just the first time I actually remembered it. I think I was about four years old and Tahwa brought Katook and I into the nursery so we could see all the new 'hatchlings'. There were lots of older clones in there, being assigned infants to care for. Tahwa was suppose to get another batch pair besides us. Katook was so pleased with himself. He wanted to be a big clone and take care of the wee ones. Tahwa used to bundle the pair together and let Katook walk them in the stroller. We used to fight over who got to push the babies. The nurslings grew up to become Mandel and Rock. They were quite a pair! I began to chuckle. Mischievous; but I guess we all were.

I talked to Tahwa over the interlink before we left for this mission. He said Rock is doing better after the accident and both he and Mandel are looking forward to getting back to the battalion. Tahwa asked us if we wanted some of Parahnda's things. Parahnda was our 'grandpa' clone growing up. He must have been in his seventies when we were small. Katook always joked with him about his dirt getting younger. I guess that's what you get for telling Katook you're 'older than dirt'. I'm going to miss Parahnda. Tahwa sent me a picture from Parahnda's 95th birthday party. It's funny to look at this photo. It's like captions of myself through out my life. Twenty clones who are eighty five years apart in age. Lots of people think we all look the same. Which I suppose is true, in the most fundamental way; but, no - you _can _tell us apart!

I wandered to the mess with my electronic notebook in hand, running analytic scans of the battle cruiser's weapons array. Not too badly organized, despite their power grid problems; but I don't know? I wondered as I looked over the schematics one more time. I suspect something was wrong with that ship before we hit it with the phase torpedo? It just doesn't seem to me that this grade of weapon should have taken their power grid down? Hum? I muttered to myself as I took one last glance at the scan log before I shut the tron-book down.

I wandered into the mess and much to my surprise; Katook had our friend "sixty-two" sitting at the table with him. That was the first time I'd seen this clone out of decon. I guess he's feeling better. I chuckled a bit as I headed on over to where they were.

"Evenin!" Katook raised a hand.

"Evening." I nodded as I tossed my tron-book on the table.

"Still trying to figure that out huh?" Katook grinned at me.

"Yeah!" I let out a sigh.

"Hello." I offered to the other clone who returned no response; but just sat and ate. "Well, aint he the social butterfly!" I mumbled to Katook. Katook just shrugged. "Well, alright. I guess I just go get myself something to eat." I mumbled again. "Be back in a minute."

I returned with soup, a big stacker and a tall glass of iced tea.

"See Dr. Salichika was on dinner duty tonight." I chuckled as I took a bite of my sandwich.

"Yeah, she seems to like meals on the lighter fare doesn't she." Katook laughed.

"Great for her; she's what, about the size of a 12 year old?" I coughed a bit. "But I'm a growing boy!" I declared as I plopped my heine next to Katook.

"So how are you today?" I suddenly inquired as I dug further into dinner.

"I think I'm OK." Katook said quietly after he sucked in a big breath.

"Thoughts calm down?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think so." He replied. "Think it's this place. It doesn't feel the same as it did before." He lent a bit of an explanation. "The racing; it's, it's different. I'm not feeling like I can take over the world this time." Katook glanced over at me. "If you know what I mean." He chuckled a bit light-heartedly.

"Walter visits you." The other clone suddenly said something.

He can talk! Wow. I thought to myself as we both sat up and looked at each other a little shocked.

"Walter?" I made a funny face.

"Walter Mitty. You call him Walter Mitty" He responded in a very monotone voice as he glanced at Katook. "I call him the hidden Jedi." The clone muttered quietly. "He's like Shadow; where ever the sun is, there is a ray and a shadow. The hidden Jedi; you can't get rid of him because he's controlled by the force. He's the same as Walter Mitty."

"Walter Mitty?" I raised an eyebrow at Katook.

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." Katook responded rather thoughtfully as he glanced at this clone; (who was now staring at his soup) and than turned to me. "He was reading that when I came to sick bay to get him." Katook explained. "It was a piece of literature that had been written just before the Second World War on Earth." He continued. "Walter Mitty had all these fantasies that he was this big hero; when actually he pretty much was a nothing. That's where that psychology term 'delusions of grandeur' came from; was that story." Katook suddenly stopped and turned back to this other clone. "Delusions." Katook mumbled. There was a long pause of silence.

"Who visits you?" Katook suddenly broke the hush as he gestured to the other clone.

"The hidden Jedi." He answered, still staring at the table. "Shadow is always there too." He paused a moment. "Sometimes the siren sings; but not too much." He mumbled as he continued peering into his soup.

"Is Shadow here now?" Katook posed another question, as I just looked at the two of them having absolutely no idea what in this flippin universe they're talking about?

"Shadow is next to you." The other clone responded.

Katook paused a moment, glanced over at me and than pointed to the empty seat on the other side of him. The clone nodded.

"And you are Ray?" Katook conveyed. "Where ever the sun is, there is a ray and there a shadow too."

The clone nodded again.

"Does any one else know about Shadow?" Katook leaned over and asked thoughtfully as the wheels in my head started to turn.

"No." The other replied. "They are blind. If they can't see the sun; they will never see the shadow."

"But they _can_ see Ray." Katook confirmed with a nod.

"Yes, they can see Ray." He whispered as he folded his hands in his lap and stared at his fingers.

"Ray?" Katook leaned over and spoke softly to our puzzling friend here. "How long have you known about Shadow?" He asked.

"Not sure." The clone responded. "He first showed up on Kamino; couple months before they assigned me to the 501st."

"And you never told anyone about him because _you_ knew they couldn't see him!" Katook added.

The clone nodded.

"What is he Schizophrenic?" I looked curiously at Katook when the other clone's attention suddenly snapped to me.

"You have a name for it." He mumbled.

"Yeah we do." Katook responded a little hesitantly before he took in a deep breath and pointed to my tron-book.

"Let me see that!" Katook suddenly requested.

"OK?" I made a funny face as I shrugged and handed him the device.

Katook began flipping through the programs till he came to Professor Drake's 'mind eating math games'.

"Here." He said as he slid the tron-book in front of the other clone. "Can you do these?" He inquired of the mind puzzles.

"Only if Shadow helps me." The other clone responded.

"OK." We both sighed as we looked at each other momentarily.

"I'll tell you what." Katook whispered as he got up and slide around the table. "I will sit next to you and Shadow can look over our shoulder; you guys can solve the math puzzle and no-one will know you are not talking to me."

"OK." The clone mumbled.

I sat quiet for a while and curiously watched as two minds went to work on this puzzle. One mind sitting before me and another I couldn't see. Ray, as Katook called him; continued on in what sounded like a one ended phone conversation.

"I have no idea what he's talking about." Katook mumbled as he peered at the puzzle and shook his head.

"Shh!" Ray elbowed Katook. "I can't hear Shadow." He said.

Katook's eyes just flashed at me and he grinned. About 5 minutes later; Ray (and his 'Shadow') had solved the puzzle.

"Wow." Was my only response.

Katook smiled warmly at Ray before he gestured toward me and told us to stay right there; he'd be back in a minute. Katook hurried out of the mess and returned several minutes later with Dr. Salichika.

"He solved this puzzle." Katook told her. "Maybe he can solve Professor Drake's algorithm?"

"Hum?" The doctor commented as she looked at the tron-book.

"Ray." Dr. Salichika said as she slid in next to me and looked directly at the clone, who'd been sitting there for the last 10 minutes doing nothing but staring at his soup. "Has anyone ever told you how intelligent you are?" She inquired.

"No-one no." Ray responded in his monotone voice. "Shadow does puzzles. The Kaminoans never knew who solved them. They are blind; they don't see Shadow. I never told anyone. They recondition Ray. That is bad. Cloning facility bad. They do bad things to clones. Ray does not want to die."

Ray squirmed a bit before he pushed the soup tray away from him.

"Shadow is my friend." He said. "Shadow never dies."

"Ray?" Dr. Salichika asked another question. "How old is Shadow?"

"Shadow is always ten." Ray replied as he suddenly looked up. "That's how I knew he wasn't real." Ray stared directly at the doctor, his voice now sounding lucid and thoughtful. "Shadow never got older."

"Ray? You said you never told anyone about Shadow." Dr. Salichika went on. "But you told us. Why did you tell us?"

"First I thought; I was in Shadow's world." He said. "But than you put me in that room and I could see Jester and Jester talked to him." Ray pointed to me. "If Jester sees you; you are not shadows. Ray did not go totally insane."

"So that's how you figured out you were on a real ship and you _weren't_ totally delusional." The doctor commented. "You recognized who in your world was not real; you learned to compensate for it by noticing who talked to whom and who got older and who didn't."

"Yes." Ray answered.

"That's brilliant; you know that?" Dr. Salichika said to Ray.

"Well, yes." Ray muttered, returning to his monotone manner of speech. "Ray knows; Ray and Shadow are pretty smart."

"And you too Katook." The doctor chuckled. "You're pretty smart for picking up that comment about Walter Mitty." She smiled as she patted Katook on the back. "Thank God for the genius of being bi-polar. I never would have figured that out." She eyed Katook a moment. "Amazing!"

Dr. Salichika sat for a bit longer before she cracked a warm smile at Ray and than Katook.

"Well, I'm going to go back to the medical lab." She sighed as she got up. "I still have a lot of work to do."

The evening passed without much more event until Ray and Jester went back to their decon chambers in sick bay. Dart was posted to keep watch of them until they fell asleep. Than the alarm was set; just in case either of them left their room. All the rest of us clones were back at our barracks. I was in the shower, Katook was doing everyone's laundry, while Sentury was adding notations to scan logs and Japah was playing solitaire. I'd just come out of the washroom when we heard a page over the ship's interlink. It requested our immediate presence in the Captain's ready room.

Katook waited for me a minute while the others headed to muster. I quickly threw on a clean uniform and we hurried down the hall. The captain had just started his meeting when we arrived. He nodded in acknowledgment of our presence before he went on.

"We are here because we have to make some decisions and lay some ground rules concerning the other clones we've picked up." Captain San Wan started.

"You've all met Jester and Ray; as he's presently called. They've been on this ship five days now and we all realize there is a likelihood they may be a liability to this mission." Captain San Wan continued. "We are not at war with the empire of this galaxy, so we do not see these men as combatants or EPW's; but we must consider this empire as hostile to us. They demonstrated that upon our first encounter."

"We've learned quite a bit from these two clones." Captain San Wan explained. "Jester has given us intelligence information which; to the best of our current knowledge has been accurate. The other clone, who is now known as Ray; apparently has a very unique... gift." Captain San Wan let out a little chuckle. "He could potentially be of great value to us. Undoubtedly though, this brilliance he hides could be also of great value to his own people. Why he's suddenly decided to share this with us; we're not really sure. The only thing we know is that his Schizophrenic... manifestation; which he has named "Shadow" tells him we are safe."

Captain San Wan let out a sigh.

"We're in a bit of a quandary; what do we do with them?" He resumed, after a brief pause. "Especially since these two individuals have knowledge of us and we have knowledge of them!" Captain San Wan made a funny face. "Now we know this military murdered all it's commanding officers. We're not sure how it happened and outside of the giving of some order; we don't really know why?"

"Captain?" Dr. Salichika raised her hand. "I think I can explain why."

"OK, well what have you found doctor." Captain San Wan lent Dr. Salichika the floor.

"Well sir, we know they were infected with various viral strands that were purposely introduced, with the intention of manipulating their behavior." She began to explain. "We know how that's done. It's common, even in our cloning processes to introduce DNA sequences that affect the temperament of the cloned life. Our process is much more complex though, because it actually changes the DNA genome of the clones. Viruses can speed up the processes because they replicate themselves pretty quickly; but they have some really bad drawbacks."

"What some of the viruses have done in these men, is lower their higher thought capacity to see through the consequences of their actions." Dr. Salichika continued. "They still know the difference between right and wrong because that's part of sentient life's Divine blueprint - if you'd call it that." She paused a moment.

"Couple that with the way they were trained though and you can essentially turn them into murders." Dr. Salichika sighed. "It's a form of ritual abuse actually. You set triggers that trip the mind into an automatic response. Once this is rehearsed enough; you set the trigger and they perform the behavior automatically. Obviously this is highly dependent upon the susceptibility of the individual. If you have a large group with the same genome though; your likelihood of getting consistent behavior across the masses greatly increases."

"Ritual abuse?" A question rose from the floor. "Isn't that mostly associated with Satanic cults?"

"Yes." Dr. Salichika went on to elaborate. "We often think of 'ritual abuse' in terms of religious cult indoctrination; but it can; and is often done outside of the context of specific religious beliefs. I use that term here, because of what I've learned from these clones. They'd been instilled to believe, that what they call Mandalorian culture, was superior to other cultures. From what I can tell of data banks collected, Mandalorian society had and does really exist. These clones appear to have been indoctrinated with a twisted representation of that culture though."

"As far as their training." Dr. Salichika continued. "They speak pretty freely of seeing others being executed for continued disobedience, or because they'd lost their usefulness to the powers that be. The low level analog and digital communications we pick up coming out of the battleships, tell of men commonly disciplined for violence against each other. Communications coming off of planets we've passed, speak in terms of killing and sex crimes against the native populations. War crimes don't happen in a bubble. The tone is set by those in authority. Again though, the reactions of the individuals are highly dependent upon their susceptibility to these techniques."

"Fascinating." Captain San Wan remarked rather soberly. "But incredibly tragic too!"

"Yes, it is tragic. Horribly tragic; but that appears to be what happened." Dr. Salichika agreed. "On the other hand though, just as with any other brain washing methodology; every individual of that army is just that, an individual. They all reacted with varying degrees of susceptibility to this order 66. We know that, because of the two we have with us; one feels guilt and the other claims to have not participated. We also know there were a few companies of clones that helped these Jedi get away."

"OK, but we know this of the human psyche." Professor Drake interrupted. "When someone crosses a certain threshold; it's awfully hard to back-peddle. We know this to be true of mass murders, war criminals, serial killers, sex offenders and the such like. It's not impossible; but it's extremely difficult. Even in the case of war crimes, where the person has killed no-one else after the war ended; we know very few of those people show any remorse or accountability for their actions."

"Yes, that is true." Dr. Salichika nodded.

"So where do we stand with these clones?" Professor Drake posed a very valid question. "What do we know of their remorse or regret process. Do we know they are not going to turn on us? I mean they both appear to be mentally ill!"

"Yes they do." Captain San Wan added. "But mental illness is not a predicator of criminal behavior. If we mistreat them; we give them a reason to betray us."

"But if we don't; we still don't know the outcome!" Professor Drake reiterated.

"No, you are correct; we do not know the outcome." Dr. Salichika concurred.

"So what do we do with them?" Professor Drake threw his hands in the air. "I mean the technology we're sitting on would be a gold mine to this empire. Can we really afford that risk?"

"Can we _not_ afford that risk?" Sentury suddenly broke in. "In any given battle scenario. When you take a typical enemy prisoner of war, someone who's not especially important to the intelligence community, just the average combatant." Sentury paused a minute to find his thoughts. "Your chances of success of integrating them into your society, or your bigger plan; are highly dependent upon the way you treat them."

"It's not 100% fool-proof obviously, because you run the risk of taking in a combatant that's actually a criminal." Sentury turned to Professor Drake in recognition of the validity of his concern. "They've crossed that threshold; as you put it." Sentury nodded to the professor. "You don't know who that is though, because so many people get lost in the shuffle; especially at the close of any given conflict." Sentury added. "I think ethically we are now responsible for them because we are the ones who essentially captured them."

"Yes Sentury I would agree with you." The captain nodded. "We are responsible for their welfare and because releasing them poses a risk to our mission; we have to hold onto them."

"Well, let's hope this works out for the best." Professor Drake sighed a bit apprehensively.

"There are no guarantees." The captain concluded. "But we have to do what is right."

"Professor, I want you to draw up a nondescript puzzle of your algorithm." Captain San Wan suddenly turned to Professor Drake. "Let's give it to Ray and see if he can solve it."

"OK" The professor reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you." The captain replied.

"Thank you everyone; you are dismissed." Captain San Wan announced to the rest of us.

"Well, I guess that clears up a few things." I glanced over at Katook as we all commenced to the exit.

"Glad you feel that way." Katook grinned. "Not sure _I'm_ feeling anymore clear; but!" He let out a chuckle and made a funny face. "I'll just be glad to get out of here I think." He sighed. "This galaxy gives me the creeps."

"You guys are doing a good job though." Captain San Wan said as he patted Katook on the back. "Those fellas like you. That's important to all of our causes."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Katook mumbled in acknowledgment.

"Hey Captain, I just had an idea!" I suddenly offered.

"Yes." Captain San Wan looked up at me.

"We still have the bodies of those clones that died and I was thinking that maybe if we let these two guys bury them; or do what ever they do with their dead?" I shrugged. "Maybe it would be good for them?" I paused a moment. "I mean Ray was talking to him about someone he called 'Star light'." I gestured toward Katook. "I don't know if Star light is a real person or another Schizophrenic manifestation; but he seemed important to Ray."

"Yeah and Jester said something about a couple of friends of his." Katook added. "I think for clones that are pretty much just treated like disposable table scraps; just throw them to the dogs you know. I think that would mean something to them."

"That's a good idea." The captain nodded thoughtfully. "Why don't you ask them? It might help."

"OK." We both agreed.

"Well!" Captain San Wan sighed. "We all need to get some sleep. Good night Nakam and Katook."

"Good night sir." We both answered before we wandered back down the hall to our barracks. The captain was right. I yawned as I dragged my hand over the scanner and the door slid open. It _was_ time for bed!


	8. Chapter 8 Unsolved Mysteries

_**Unsolved Mysteries:**_

"Ahh, one week in this place?" I grumbled to Sentury. "Have you read this stuff about Mandalorian culture?" I inquired of my research adjutant.

"Yeah." Sentury said rather dryly. "Remind me not to visit their planet. It must really wreak!" He snickered.

"I know." I mumbled with a snicker or two of my own. "What kind of intelligent planetary inhabitants have no real burial customs?" I muttered as I shook my head. "That doesn't make any sense. Even if you're just looking at it from the practical standpoint of cleanliness."

"Last one 'stands' right where he fell!" Sentury chuckled. "Makes for awfully dirty city streets!"

"Damn strait on that!" I shook my head. "So, what do we do? Bury these guys according to our own customs? That seems kind of odd to me."

"Don't know?" Sentury shrugged. "Maybe if we just recite their names every night; their bodies will magically disappear?" He turned and grinned hopefully at me.

"Yeah, alright!" I just shook my head and laughed. "Maybe they'll become one with the force?" I muttered. "You ever hear Jester or Ray's description of that?" I glanced over at Sentury. "You think that really happens? How can someone just 'disappear'? Matter has to go somewhere."

"Well, just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there." Sentury commented. "Look at warp drive, or that transporter... thing. The matter isn't 'here' but it's 'somewhere'." He shrugged. "There's a lot of odd things even about our own universe that we don't really understand; not to mention this one."

"Yeah I guess?" I just shook my head again. "...to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!" I started to giggle.

"This isn't going to turn into one of those grammar school bathroom jokes; is it?" Sentury eyed me.

"The captain's log!" I started to laugh.

"Juvenile clones." Sentury just shook his head.

"And like you should talk. You hot clone." I chided him as I leaned over and made kissy noises.

"Yeah Nakam; I love you too." He laughed as he gave me a shove.

We sat quietly working on our own projects for another 20 minutes or so, when I finally got so board I decided to suggest something along the lines of a coffee break. That seemed to be agreeable to Sentury, so we shut down our archeological dig and set out to the mess. We were rather lazily meandering our way toward our favored cup of "joe", when the emergency alert suddenly commenced it's vexing blare.

"ALL HANDS REPORT TO BATTLE STATIONS!" The computer relayed as we beat a hasty detour to the bridge.

"INCOMING!" Dart hollered as we skidded through the door. The ship suddenly lurched port-side and both Sentury and I went tumbling over Katook.

"You guys OK?" Professor Drake mumbled as he pulled me to my feet; all the while keeping a sharp eye on the battle in the sky.

"Yeah, thanks." I mumbled a reply as I scrambled to my station. "What's going on?" I inquired.

"Not sure." Came the Professor's response. "Two ships dropped out of 'hyper-space'. Battle cruiser chasing this smaller ship. They came right at us."

"Where's the Captain?" I made a funny face as I gestured behind us at his empty command chair.

"Trapped in cargo bay three." Dart answered.

"Is that what hit us?" I motioned out the star-board portal at what looked like a cargo box.

"No, it registered as some sort of energy field." Katook mumbled a response as I reset our navigational position sights, while Sentury engaged the stabilizers and we returned to 'upright'.

"How'd it know we were here?" I mumbled to myself. "We went under cloak as soon as they appeared."

"What do you want us to do next Professor?" Dart inquired with a glance behind him as the rest of us watched the pile of burning rubble that looked like it had been a small cargo transport.

"There's two life forms on the surface." The Professor noted as we watched them scatter from the blast fire of the cruiser. "Once they're in range, engage transporter and beam them to sickbay."

"Yes Sir." Katook acknowledged.

"Nakam and Sentury, go help out the doctor." Professor Drake issued our final order.

"Eye-eye." We both answered as we jumped up and hurried to our newly assigned post.

We arrived just short of the transport of our newest guests to sickbay. They were two humanoid beings who appeared to be of related, yet likely separate species. One of them; the younger of the two had orange skin and what looked like a blue and white striped head-dress. The other had green skin and long 'horn / tails' that hung down her back. The two stood staring at us in apparent shock and disbelief. Than, finally one of them spoke.

"Exclamation of unknown origin." The computer attempted to translate. "Closest known phraseology: 'Oh my God!'" The computer paused. "Proper name - Ashoka. Ashoka was telling the truth. They do exist!"

Sentury and I just looked at each other and than at Dr. Salichika.

"I don't know?" She shrugged.

"Uhhh, greetings." The other stranger cautiously interjected as our personal translation chips began to decode this already known language. "My name is Kappi Quinera and this is Suri Bahnahpakin." Our green skinned friend introduced herself and her companion. "I am a Nautolan and Suri here is Togruta." She paused a moment. "We've heard rumors... of... your existence." She whispered as she stumbled over toward Sentury and myself. She cocked her head and stood staring intensely at the two of us.

"An army of cloned Jedi." She mumbled in astonishment.

Sentury and I just peered warily at each other.

"Computer." Dr. Salichika finally broke the silence. "Locate Captain San Wan."

"Captain San Wan is on the bridge." The computer reported.

"Captain?" The doctor tentatively requested. "Could you please come down to sick bay."

"Yes Doctor; I'm aware we've taken on visitors. I will be there shortly." The Captain replied.

"Are either of you two injured?" Dr. Salichika inquired as she grabbed a medical scanner and proceeded toward the individual who was still standing where the transporter had left her.

"No." She shook her head. "I know we look kind of bad, but I think we're both OK."

"How did you know we were here?" I suddenly sprung a spontaneous query upon them.

"We could feel you in the force." Suri answered as she nodded graciously to Dr. Salichika and than came to stand by her companion. "Even though your ship was invisible; we could still sense you were there. That's why we pushed you out of the way." She explained.

"We'd just left Kessel. There's an conclave of Jedi who'd survived order 66 there." She began to relay. "We'd gone to do a pick up of a few more, who we knew were headed for the meeting, when we were attacked by Vader."

"Yes!" The other added. "He killed everyone." She sighed heavily. "He's been hunting us all for the past six..., eight or so months."

"Is that how long it's been since this order 66 thing happened?" Sentury made a funny face.

"Something like that?" Kappi pondered. "It's been a long duration. I've been on so many planets now; I've lost track. Standard space months?" She cynically laughed. "I have no idea any more."

"Hum?" I nodded.

"You'd said you heard rumors of us?" Dr. Salichika broke in. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, something from a Padawan I'd heard." Suri began to answer. "She'd sent me a private message over Intel about 4 days before 66 came down." She rubbed her eyes a minute as she began to think. "Something about some unknown, back water planet. She'd said there were some clones there and aliens she'd never seen before. They had superior technology and they'd crashed on that planet some two years prior." Suri looked up at us all in a bit of apprehensive befuddlement.

"Only one of the clones survived." She continued. "He'd been picked up by a unit of GAR stragglers and because they all felt the technology was a little too dangerous if it'd fallen into the wrong hands; they destroyed it." She explained. "Ashoka said though, that they'd discovered something about that clone's immune system. Something about a cellular protein coat? It made his immune system impervious to breaking down, so he never got sick; or at least they didn't think he could?"

Sentury and I just looked at each other and chuckled.

"Oh believe me; we can get sick." He laughed.

"Well, uh?" Suri sighed. "The Sepies had gotten a hold of this information some how; and they built a weapon with it." She mumbled rather forlornly. "Rumor has it that they killed the entire planet."

"Hum." Dr. Salichika folded her arms and scratched her head a minute. "Sounds like our guy." She sighed. "No other clone soldier we've encountered here so far has a bolstered immune system." She looked up at our two guests.

"No other clone?" Kappi suddenly interrupted in a bit of a panic. "Have you had contact with the Jango traitors?"

"Jango traitors?" Dr. Salichika made a funny face.

"Jango yes." I answered. "Ray and Jester said they were cloned from a man named Jango Fett; so they refer to themselves as Jango clones."

"You have storm-troopers on this ship?" Suri suddenly jumped into a state of high alert, as she reached for her belt and pulled out some sort of incandescent weapon.

"Hold on!" Sentury jumped in too as he grabbed Suri's arm and I reached for my phaser. "Yes." He steadied her. "We have two of these clones. They are in containment though. They are not armed and they won't hurt you." He reassured the two of them.

"We'd picked them out of a mess of space debris." I began to explain as the two young ladies let out a tentative sigh of relief and Suri holstered her weapon. "Their battle cruiser... kind of went...Super Nova?" I shrugged a bit sheepishly.

"Yeah, we heard about that; remember?" Suri peered at her companion and wagged her finger in the air.

"But of course, you guys wouldn't have had anything to do with _**that**_ now, would you?" Kappi eyed me suspiciously and grinned.

"On account of Brutes being such an honorable man?" I grinned back. "Of course not; remember we came to bury Caesar, not to praise him."

Kappi and Suri just looked at me; obviously not knowing Shakespeare.

"To blow up the ship or not blow up the ship; that is the question?" Sentury selected a quote of his own.

"Well not purposefully." Dr. Salachika clarified as she let out a sigh and shook her head at us. _(More clone army Earth humor; I do suppose.) _"One of our phase weapons took out their power; poor grid design." She muttered.

"So what of this _other _clone?" The doctor picked up where her first conversation had left off. "Do you by any chance, know where he is?" She inquired. "If they used the housing of his immune protein coat; he probably survived. Did you hear anything about where he went, or where this planet is?"

"No." Suri shook her head. "At first I didn't really believe her. It's not that I thought Ashoka was prone to lying. Just one time she'd been infected with some virus that I think fried a few of her brain cells." Suri chuckled a bit. "She'd tell these outlandish stories. I just thought maybe she was sick again." She paused to think. "I mean it seemed a little far stretched. I went looking in the Jedi archives and found nothing of the planet or the inhabitants she'd described." She shrugged. "She said she had some information she was going to send me; but it never came."

"66 came first." I muttered.

"Yeah!" Suri looked at me. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess." Sentury chuckled.

We all stood pondering this a few more minutes, when Captain San Wan entered sick bay.

"Sir!" I suddenly blurted out. "We have information on Shiloh. The first ship did make it here; although he, he... was the only survivor."

"Yes, I heard that when I was coming in." Captain San Wan nodded. "I'm glad at least he's alive. Do we know where he is?" The Captain paused a minute to introduce himself to our latest additions.

"No, we don't." Dr. Salichika answered. "But I'm sure Suri here can help us put some more of the pieces together."

Their conversation went on a bit longer while I curiously inquired of Kappi if I could examine this, what she called a 'light-saber'. She hesitantly agreed, in exchange for a look at my phaser. So in a swap of combat paraphernalia; we struck up a conversation about this galaxy's recent history.

Odd as it seemed, this term - 'storm trooper' that Kappi so freely tossed around in description of these Jango clones, sparked a memory of what I'd read recently in a history article. The term had also been used in the early part of the twentieth century to describe soldiers of one of the nation states. They'd attempted to infiltrate the enemy's trenches and take out the enemy headquarters before they knew what hit them.

The offensive wasn't particularly successful, albeit not on account of the strategy; but for other unforeseen factors. I began to giggle. The most comical of which was the massive stores of alcohol these 'Sturmtruppen' encountered upon the execution of their battle objective. Apparently the British managed to foil the plot by inadvertently getting all the Germans plastered. As one of the later period authors wrote. "..not for the lack of German fighting spirit but on account of the abundance of English drinking spirit."

Funny how there seems to be so much I've heard of late that looks like it was carbon copied out of one of our own history books. The whole use of a 'protein coat' to manufacture a weapon sounds really familiar too. That also was of the late 20th century. Something about auto-immune disorders and protein coats that housed viruses. One of the other nation states actually had a patent on one of these protein coats. The medical community of that day said it was like nothing they'd ever seen in nature; so they concluded it'd been engineered by man. There'd been many conspiracy theories that the viruses themselves were created as a means of population control in other developing nation states. The alleged 'paper trail' though, had been buried under mounds of rubble following the second nuclear holocaust.

Ironically though, some of this lore had been stumbled upon 'accidentally' by groups of civilians who were searching governmental archives; and has thus made it into our current history books. They were looking for information on some mysterious illness which arose out of a brief military engagement that took place in the Persian Gulf. The war it's-self, had hardly been a notable blip in history; but the datum that arose out of it, fueled the flames of _many_ conspiracy theories.

So did it really happen or did it not? I'm inclined not to doubt it. Nothing humanity could do: I wouldn't put it past us to try. If we can engineer and clone men where with to build armies; why would any other debase ethics surprise me? I pondered a bit as my mind returned to my own century. But what do you do when you are the organism trapped in the middle of the ethics question? I'd often wondered if I had even the will to leave the only army I've ever known? Yeah, I could become a farmer or go work in a factory or something; but could I leave behind the brothers I've spent my entire life with? More importantly, would I have the cowardice to leave them to face this alone; regardless of how badly I'd come to hate war? As much as I've been given respect, honor and good care; how much longer can I continue to do this? I sucked in a deep breath as I glanced over at Kappi, who seemed to be struggling with her own reality.

I guess there really is nothing new under the sun. No matter what sun it is. I giggled a bit as this miscellaneous verse from Ecclesiastes floated through my mind. Who shall save me from this body of death? Err - ahhhh! I felt like screaming. I guess it doesn't really matter. Farmer, factory worker or soldier; my life is still subject to a certain amount of futility. Funny how we often get ourselves trapped in these mental hoops; thinking that where ever else we may end up is going to be better than where we are? Despite the fact that yes, there's a certain amount of relativity to it all. Yeah, I'd rather be walking the corridors of this research ship than trying to eke out my last ounce of survival in some concentration camp somewhere! Talk about relative factors; but anyways! I started to giggle.

"What?" Kappi smiled as she turned to me.

"Oh nothing." I mumbled. "Just thinking of what my life might be like if I wasn't a clone soldier." I shook my head and chuckled some more. "You ever wonder what you'd be if you weren't a Jedi?"

"Yeah, I guess." She mumbled a response. "But not in a long time. I've spent too much energy running away from this evil empire."

"Well yeah, need for survival often causes us not to dwell on questions of what is our purpose in life?" I acknowledged.

"Yeah well, I know our purpose is to defeat the Sith." Kappi offered an answer I wasn't expecting to hear. "I mean, I know we have to win this conflict. The force just would not allow evil to prevail. I just know it wouldn't!" Her voice trailed off a moment. "Not ultimately at least."

"Hum." I nodded as Kappi paused a moment and looked at me.

"What?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm not really sure?" I pondered briefly as I scratched my head. "Just trying to reconcile my own beliefs with my experience here... I guess." I let out a sigh. "These things this... this force can do here don't happen in our universe." My thoughts began to gush out. "Even things in your physical world don't even exist in our world. Like harvesting light into a weapon. We can't do that; it's not even possible!"

"Hum." Kappi looked at me funny. "I can't imagine a universe without the force."

"Yeah, 'the force'?" I looked at her inquisitively. "What exactly is 'the force'?"

"Well, it's the energy that runs through all living things." Kappi gave what seemed to me a standard pat answer for such basic inquiry. A course in 'the force' 101. "It surrounds us all and binds the galaxy together." Kappi went on. "The force it's-self is neither good or evil. It's what we do with it that makes the difference."

"Hum?" I just looked at her curiously. "But you just said you knew the force would not allow evil to prevail, or at least to prevail ultimately; an entity that would not allow evil to prevail is not a neutral 'force'. That's the definition of a deity. Is this 'force' what you'd call 'God'?" I asked.

"Well, no." Kappi answered. "There are people I've heard on various planets who believe in a 'Creator of the world' type of supreme Deity; but Jedi don't see the force that way. We don't worship the force. It's just there to help us do our job; I guess." Kappi shrugged, seemingly a bit embarrassed by the fact that she didn't have a direct answer for me.

"Hum." I just smiled at her. "Do you believe in a... God of some sorts?" I inquired.

"I don't know." She honestly confessed following a few moments of careful contemplation. "Not to say I've never thought about it." She shrugged. "Guess I've just spent more time concentrating on my Jedi training and what the force could help me do." She paused a moment before she held her finger in the air to point out the idea that had just popped into her head. "The one you guys should talk to though is Grand Master Yoda." She smiled warmly as it seemed she had fond memories of he who's name she had just mentioned. "If anyone could teach you about the force it would be him. He knows more than anyone _I_ know of." She chuckled as she stood looking at me; apparently giving me careful consideration. "I wonder what your Midi-chlorians count is?"

My what? I peered over at her a bit worriedly.

"Oh never mind." She laughed as she waved me away. "Heard different theories on that; that's all." She mumbled.

Midi-what? I just shrugged. Maybe Dr. Salichika can clue me in?

_**Grand Master Yoda. Hum?**_I relayed in my personal log just as I was getting ready to shut down my tron-book and go to bed. I glanced over at Katook who was already passed out cold. I wonder what we're about to learn? I sighed as I peered out the portal. This force thing still confuses me; even after hours of pain-staking explanation. I felt kind of bad for Suri and Kappi; for the more they tried to explain, the more they confused and frustrated themselves too. One of those mysteries of this universe I'll never understand on this side of the grave I suppose. I sighed as I got up and wandered toward the portal and the passing stars that zipped by.

"God I know You're out there somewhere, because I know You're in here!" I mumbled quietly as I slapped my hand over my heart and stood watching the blackness of space suck up the light. Even so, there still is light. I pondered a moment.

Funny, Jester and Kappi's reactions to each other. I ruminated a moment as I crawled into bed and flopped down next to Katook; who was snoring away quite a racket. I gave him a shove over onto his side, which quieted the buzz saw - so I could sleep. I could still hear Jester's words in my head though.

Order 66.

"I.. I know nothing I say will ever make up for what we did; but I'm sorry. I really am."


	9. Chapter 9 The Gift of a Familiar Face

_**The Gift of a Familiar Face:**_

Well, been _another_ week and we've just finished dropping Kappi and Suri off on a planet they called Naboo. Jester and Ray too had finally concluded upon a burial for their fallen comrades; even though neither of them really knew these other clones. Laying these men to rest though, sparked a torrent of tears from these two. It was a bit overwhelming, even for us; as I don't think either of these guys have ever cried for anyone in their lives? Or at least to me it doesn't seem they had?

Speaking of sparks of emotion; I can't help but think of Kappi and the tales she'd relayed to me. Still not sure I have any better understanding of what Jedi really are; but their ability to tap into this 'force' seems to have grounded them a little more than these clones. I guess it is a religion of sorts; even if they wouldn't classify it as such. Kappi tried to help me connect to her via this 'force'; but I don't think it quite worked as well as she hoped? She said she didn't want to loose track of me, but I don't know? The whole thing just rather creeps me out!

To Kappi's credit though; it seemed she understood where I was coming from. Captain San Wan had issued us all an order to cease and decease from attempting to use these new found powers we seem to have been miraculously bestowed with. His reasoning being that they think that's how the first battle cruiser found us; our little game of catch with Sentury's screw driver! I don't know if that's true; but I can appreciate the captain's logic. Besides the fact that Kappi and Suri have confirmed beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt, that we are not at all well practiced in the use of this 'force'. Fine with me. Like I said before; seems a little dangerous in my humble opinion.

Besides all this though; Kappi still got me thinking. Thinking along the lines of a totally different book; but still thinking. Sort of reminds me of my days back at the college. All this genetic and/or endocrine fiddling we'd done. Apparently somewhere along the past week Kappi decided she rather liked me. She tried to kiss me; which - well, that didn't turn out as it seemed she'd hoped either. Not to say that it had no effect at all. Just, I guess I got a little 'freaked'. Than, I suppose Ray's comment to the whole situation didn't help either.

"What's 'ah matter? Don't you wanna ah good ..." He suddenly stopped. "Strange army!"

Strange army, yeah! Not sure how comforting that is coming from a schizophrenic clone; but anyways.

Katook asked me about that later. With all the 'extraneous' experiences he's had. He wanted to know if I was still waiting on the right whole of who, what, where, when and... why to appear. I know he's got a little different view on this than I do. A view that's colored by pictures of children in his head. Me though, I just wish I could get comfortable with this whole thing inside of myself before I decide to go trying to share it with someone else. I just don't like those feelings of being out of control that these strange (or at least strange to me) urges present with - and if I'm going to let anyone be so close to me; I'm definitely selecting prudently!

Even with all that 'self-determination' or what ever it is one would want to say I'm suffering from; I can't seem to get this out of my head. I've immersed myself in scan logs, specs data, battle vids and watching Ray manipulate algorithms. All rather fascinating; but I keep thinking of Kappi. I hope she's going to be OK. It's dangerous for even us out here and we have a more technologically advanced hiding place. What about her though? How would I really feel if something happened to her?

_Now Nakam, you're being silly. You hardly even know her._

Well, yeah I know; but there's nothing wrong with hoping the best for someone, or saying a prayer for them.

_Remember her code though. Forming attachments is 'forbidden'. Even if you don't agree with it. That's the code she lives by. You're not going to sway someone so dedicated to that type of lifestyle. _

Yeah, I know. She certainly has an assured sense of purpose in what she believes; but we're not all excluded to singular missions in life.

_Well, yeah you may believe that; but it's too late now. She's made her choices and you've made yours. She's gone. Let it go. _

Sigh - this mission isn't over yet.

So on I go; watching Jester struggle with the opposite end of the same question. Freedom! Was Slick right? He keeps asking me that. I don't know any more? I, who'd be so quick to tell him in his circumstances, that he certainly should have the right to choose. Just because I live in a world of broader leeways though, doesn't mean that those same basic questions of the rights of sentient beings don't apply to me too. What is freedom though? What really_ is_ freedom?

_Freedom is never free. Doesn't matter who's fighting for it - it's never free. _

No it's not; but it has to be of enough value to us to pay the price!

_So on you go._

"Yes, on I go." I mumbled to myself as I wandered to my watch. "Here I am; reporting for duty." I told he who I was suppose to relieve, as I came half heartedly tripping through the door onto the bridge.

"Well, aren't you just the epitome of the enthusiastic, duty bound clone soldier." Sentury laughed upon my entry.

"Uh yeah! It's the middle of the night. I'm here aren't I?" I flashed him my bestest clone glare. He just laughed again.

"So what's wrong?" Sentury asked with a bit of a chuckle. "You look like ya just jettisoned your warp core."

"Hih." I attempted to chuckle a return. "Nothing really, I guess." I sighed. "I think I just need to stop asking myself all these 'what's my real purpose in life' questions."

"You thinking about that Jedi chick again, aren't you?" Sentury made an ire inquiry as he just shook his head. "Neuro-transmitter blockers." He mumbled. "Makes my life a lot easier."

"Gee thanks; I feel better already." I mumbled back my retort.

"Yeah, well remember the guy who'd once quoted to me a line out of one of his favorite ancient movies." Sentury reminded me. "Until God moves you. Grow where you're planted."

"Yeah." I sighed "Regardless of whether or not I feel like I've 'grown' any? I am the soldier in the airport _facing...the giants_...one more time."

Sentury just gave a knowing sigh of his own. "Is there hope for any man?" He continued to quote. "I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward."

"And though my body by than is no more; yet in my flesh I know I'll see the Lord." I added a quote of my own. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to the day when there aint a creature in this universe that's at want for a single thing." I paused a moment before I let out a sigh. "Despite the fact that I still feel crumby."

"Yeah, me too." Sentury concurred. "But for right now though; even if it doesn't make us feel any better - we exist on this plane."

"Yeah." I chuckled. "Somewhere in this oddball universe where you can move things with your mind."

"May the force be with you!" Sentury grinned.

"Yeah, something like that!" I replied.

We rehearsed our official 'signing on and off of the duty report' and Sentury went on his merry way to catch some more shut eye. I checked the scan log once before I made my first rounds of the ship. Every thing was quiet and running 'as normal'; what ever that means these days. Ray and Jester were both awake though. Ray, concentrating mightily on his puzzle and Jester just staring out the portal of his decontamination chamber. He knocked on the window when he heard me walk by. I completed my rounds and came back to see what he wanted.

Jester seemed somewhat out of sorts. He wasn't his usual fastidious self though; he was real calm, still and steady. It seemed like the weight of what ever it was he'd spent so much time anxious over had finally been lifted. Hum? I thought to myself. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? Sometimes folk are really calm just before something truly heinous goes down. I reminded myself; so I entered with caution.

"So what's up. Is there something you need?" I inquired.

"Well, not that I_ need!_" Jester shrugged with a chuckle. "I want to tell you something though because it might... help you guys?" He sighed as he sat up on his bed and pondered thoughtfully.

"Yeah?" I let out a sigh as I pulled up a chair.

"Well, before the order came." Jester began to relay. "A few of... us clones, started having these... nightmares. They weren't the typical nightmares though. You know, guys dream about the war and... and wake up screaming and... stuff." Jester's voice trailed off a bit before he resumed his previous thought. "Some of them were sometimes like nightmares and sometimes just this really bad feeling that something was about to go down. Something earth-shattering. Something that was going to change the course of the war and... and, kind of make everything fit together?" Jester paused a moment. "I know that doesn't make any sense. I mean how does it all fit together? How did the war fit into any of this; but it just... did? I guess I can't explain it; but that's what happened." He let out a sigh and shook his head.

"And?" I hesitated a bit. "What does this have to do with us? Are you having those dreams again?"

"Well, kind of." Jester peered up at me seeming a bit unsure of himself. "Before they were really vague. We all had the same notion and the same dreams. We just couldn't make sense out of them. We'd dream we were minds trapped in bodies we couldn't control and walking through rivers of blood chanting "Enemies of the Republic". I guess I sort of understood later what that meant." Jester concluded his thought. "But now it's different and it's even scarier because it's so detailed... accurate?"

"Well, what is it?" I asked.

"I'm on this ship and I keep hearing Vader's voice." Jester answered. "He's telling me he's going to get you. They'll torture you and you'll tell them everything they want to know, including how you got here. Than he'll take over your world too and he'll be invincible."

"Well OK?" I muttered inquisitively, trying to hide my own skepticism. I mean, how does he expect to do this when he can't even find us? Unless all these clones have been some how programed to betray who-ever? My mind began to drift a bit. "And... What about you?" I probed, trying to figure out where Jester thought himself to be in all of this?

"And what about you?" Jester mindlessly parroted my question. "I suppose I'd be rewarded for leading him to you." He mumbled a little more thoughtfully as he dropped his head down into his hands. "I don't want to live in this evil empire though." He muttered, but mostly to himself. "Just shoot me now." He continued, rather flatly as he leapt up and took one lunging step toward me. I immediately jumped to my feet, phaser drawn and ready to fire when Jester suddenly stopped.

There was a long pause of silence; with nothing to disturb it but the faint squealing of the chair I'd been perched in - drifting across the floor.

"I know you would kill me." Jester mumbled thoughtlessly. "But do I really want to go - suicide by brother?" He stood up straitly and stared at me. "Have I become that much of a coward?" He whispered before he simply just turned around and crawled back into bed. He laid there and looked at me a bit longer. I, still standing with phaser in hand. "I'm sorry." He mumbled before he let out a sigh, closed his eyes and turned toward the wall.

Sorry, sorry for what? I squinted suspiciously at him as I holstered my weapon and guardedly retreated from the chamber. I sealed the door and commenced a precautionary scan, just to see if there was any way he'd made contact. I know that had been a concern of the

captain's and thus the reason Dr. Salichika checked both these men for technological implants. We had in times past, encountered aliens who could employ such devices. Fortunately though, those particular advances, we'd not found here; or at least not thus far.

So I went back to my post on the bridge and set up an extra security survey using the long range sensors. I ended up checking every safety device I could think of, just to try and ease this heavy feeling of being suffocated that I couldn't seem to escape. Had I suddenly gone more paranoid than usual? I sucked in a deep breath as I squeezed both eyes shut a few times. The tears just started running down my face, as I suddenly felt assailed by feelings of total helplessness. What's wrong with me? What's wrong with this place? I started to cry. Oh God get us out of here!

Well, about ten minutes had passed of my pacing the floor and wiping my face before I could finally get a hold of myself. I wasn't one particularly prone to anxiety attacks; but if this didn't qualify - I didn't know what did. I felt like a trapped animal ready to climb the walls. Trapped in a world of fear that was mostly between my ears. My outside circumstances weren't really any different. The menace we faced _really_ hadn't changed any since I'd talked to Jester; only my perception of it. And... he himself didn't show behavior that gave me reason to be concerned for my _own_ safety. After all, if he had betrayed us for any gain of praise he thought he'd be on the receiving end of; he wouldn't have been so sullen about it.

"Alright!" I mumbled as I let out a long sigh before I began to dictate a report about the incident that had taken place with Jester. When I'd finished this task; I just sat a bit, aimlessly staring out the bridge's front view port. "I really have done every thing I can do right now." I reassured myself as I let out a sigh and looked around. "Time to concentrate on something else." I muttered. "Something positive... and useful!"

I completed a couple more laps around the bridge before I came up with an idea. The intelligence we'd collected off the various scraps of technology we've scavenged! We'd mostly looked at battle spec stuff and passed over civilian vids of where these clones had gone on furlough or routine duty assignments. I wonder if there's any information in that data that could help us?

After about an hour of looking, my eyes were starting to glaze over, when some small thing suddenly popped out at me. Ray's visor record showed a stream of footage from a rather large planet he and one of his fellow clones had been scouting. They called the place Coruscant; and apparently had been assigned to the duty of finding deserters. Nothing that seemed of much consequence to us, until his visor did something funny.

"Potential match." The computer program in the helmet had stated, before it zeroed in on a woman's profile. It was part of the facial recognition software they were employing to help identify other clones who may have been deserters. The vid was only a few seconds long, as Ray had commanded it to move ahead; believing for obvious reasons, that this person was not a deserter Jango clone.

"Here, I think she wants you." Another female voice had said to the woman in question, as she handed over a screaming infant; which this 'suspect' promptly commenced to nurse. Considering that a male deserter would not be nursing an infant; Ray moved on, muttering an array of profanities about the ineffectual accuracy of this program. Little did he know though; the software had made an accurate match. I backed the stream up to take a second look. Yes, she indeed had the same facial features as her clone brothers. A bit smaller parameters, but she certainly was a match.

Kappi had mentioned some brief blurb about a female Jango clone who may have had contact with Shiloh. I guess the story went, that she'd escaped from the cloning facility and since very few people actually knew she existed; no one made the connection. So long as she wasn't standing next to one of her brothers, people weren't likely to identify her as a clone. So she had the perfect hiding place; right in plain sight!

I watched these few snippets of video stream a couple of times to see what, (if any) clues I could garnish about precise local. Were there any indications that this clone lived in the near by vicinity? After all, the second woman did have what looked like a fabric grocery bag with a logo on it. I zeroed in on the name on the bag. Quanty. The computer transliterated. Quanty Market. It said.

So I spent the next; I don't know how long, flipping back and forth through different vids trying to piece together a rudimentary street map. I searched twice through both Jester and Ray's helmet data to see if they had some sort of mapping system installed. I mean they had to have the technology. You can't mesh several space faring planetary systems together without some sort of global positioning.

"Must be good!" Professor Drake's voice startled my thoughts as I suddenly looked up.

"Uh? Um, yeah. Professor, sir. I..I think I found something." I mumbled as I glanced around the bridge; wondering what I'd missed. Professor Drake just laughed.

"Your watch ended 45 minutes ago. You know that don't you?" He inquired in a bit of amusement.

"Uh, yeah sir... I.. I knew that." I made my best attempt at a half-hearted admittible.

Professor Drake just shook his head at me.

"So what'd you find." He chuckled as he took up the neighboring seat.

"Oh, remember that female clone Kappi mentioned." I launched into my explanation.

"Yeah." The professor nodded.

"Well I found her." I relayed as I quickly switched back to the vid of 'incriminating evidence'. "She's on this planet Coruscant, or at least she was... three months ago that is." I paused a moment, peering more intensely at the monitor. "But! I think there is reason to believe she's living there." I concluded.

"O.K.?" Professor Drake mumbled as he leaned over to get a look for himself.

"I think I've found her on five different vids that are two months apart." I continued. "Their facial recognition technology picks her up as a potential match on two of those recordings." I pointed out. "You can hear this remark come through Ray's com-link, where this other clone says something about - the only 'deserter' he's seen is... 'Jango titties'." I relayed as I cleared my throat and tried not to snicker.

"But! Ray is looking at his buddy and you can just see, in the corner of his visor - that her eyes move." I pointed out. "She glances momentarily at the guy who just passed her. Now he doesn't have a helmet on and so what he says can be heard by the people around him. Except!" I paused a moment. "He's not speaking galactic basic; he's speaking Mambo'. The fact that she apparently understands him, is a good indication that she actually is this... mysterious clone."

"Hum?" Professor Drake made a curious face as he peered a bit closer at the vids.

"Now, you either see the back of her, or she's off in the distance in the rest of the footage; but I believe it's the same person." I went on. "There's her and another woman. Between the two of them; one always has a small child who matches the description of the species 'Fonk' that Suri said this Padawan Ashoka had mentioned." I paused another moment as I pointed out the child on the screen. "I think they are living there because in two of these tapings, either of them are getting off, or on this one specific tram."

"Also!" I held my finger up. "The fact that these guys have a nick-name for her; albite as unflattering as it is." I mumbled as I raised an eyebrow and shook my head. "Tells me they've seen her before. She's apparently a normal part of the scenery."

"Hum?" Professor Drake nodded. "If she _is_ some secret experimental Jango clone though; how come they never picked her up?"

"Well, first of all - they wouldn't know." I explained. "And secondly, both Ray and Jester said they'd heard rumors that the Jango template was no longer being used." I let out a little giggle. "Needless to say, they both expressed a certain _dismay_ over that; stating that they were the 'best clones the Republic had ever seen'." I chuckled with cocked head, as a curious expression suddenly escaped. "Besides that though; Kappi and Suri confirmed that the cloning facilities had actually been destroyed. So yes, it would be reasonable to doubt that the Empire would even be looking for her at this point." I confidently confirmed as I slapped my hands on the consol and stared straitly at the professor.

"OK; makes sense." He nodded, followed by the next obvious inquiry. "So do we know where they are on this planet?"

"Well that's the problem." I sighed. "The entire landmass is essentially one ginormous city, which has several landmarks that are exactly the same." I grumbled with a shake of my head. "The only way you can really get around is by some sort of GPS." I continued. "Now we know both Ray's and Jester's helmets have this capability, because every so often you hear the program give coordinate points." I indicated. "The problem _is_ though, you can only access the mapping system by network. The helmets register coordinate points and if the clone needs to know where he's going; he pulls up the mapping information off the network. "

"And likely because of the size and complexity of this planet; static mapping data would be useless." Professor Drake concluded as he folded his arms, scratched his head and let out a sigh.

"Yes Sir; probably." I concurred with a sigh of my own.

"So in other words; we need to somehow gain access to the network." Professor Drake leaned over to take a look at something on the vid.

"Yes sir." I nodded. "Maybe if we boosted the power relay and set up a scan for a wave frequency; we could isolate the band that contains one of their Internet servicers and sneak into the GPS through the back door. Their wireless networks have to run on the same principals as ours. Our technology is more advanced, but we've been able to convert things thus far. I can't imagine their Internet network would be any different."

"You're probably right." Professor Drake agreed. "But we know just channeling a signal through hyper-space is iffy at best. The signals just aren't hearty enough to grab through warped space and since we aren't equipped for hyper-space travel; we'd have to be just about on top of the planet to hack into their network."

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"Not sure." Professor Drake mulled over the question a bit before he spit out an idea. "We have their technology, which is adequate to do the job and to my feeling; it's wise to keep our own footprint here as light as possible." He ruminated as he paced the floor. "My suggestion would be to secure a shuttle from around here and send a couple of our crew on a mission to this planet. That way if anything goes wrong; we're not endangering our own galaxies by their capture of our technology."

"Sounds reasonable." I agreed. "I'll go, I need some excitement." I grinned.

Professor Drake just looked at me with one raised eye-brow.

"Yeah, sure you do!" He muttered. "But I guess that's why you're a clone soldier and I'm not." His innuendo suddenly changed directions. "I'll make a proposal to the captain; see what he says. He'd have to decide who he could spare and who'd be best suited for it." Professor Drake continued. "I wouldn't send anyone alone; nor do I think he'd be keen on that either. Can we spare two of our crew though?" He pondered a moment.

"Well Professor;... you could send Jester with me." I suggested.

_Let me tell you; __**that**__ proposal earned me a look that said: You've got to be totally insane! But I don't know though? At least if Jester really was going to betray anyone; he wouldn't be on the ship when he did it. I reasoned. It's expedient that one man die for all our worlds than they all perish. I thought for a moment. But than again; Jester is probably made up of more substance than we give him credit for - most of us are! _

_So! I sighed. I wonder what the captain is going to say?_


	10. Chapter 10 The force unleashed

_**The force (Force?) unleashed:**_

Well? Much to my surprise / shock, trepidation and / or (possibly) utter consternation the captain actually went for my crazy scheme!

_Now Nakam what'd you go do that for?_

Oh I don't know? God what did I get myself into?

_Now look what you done there, gone and done! Just like Adam. You gone and screwed up the entire universe; you big idiot! _

Somehow, I don't think that's exactly what the Lord had said. Fitting though; (in my opinion) but I guess that's why He's God and I'm not: (good thing too). I chuckled to myself as I followed Katook down to the training room. Get a little exercise. Clear the mind a bit. Sweat the clutter out - you know: (and God knows I got a lot of it up there). Lack of sleep, too much coffee, all that good stuff. It really makes for wonderful brain fog. I hate brain fog. I snickered with a tad of self-abating amusement.

Ode to brain fog, beloved brain fog. One hundred and five ways to rid one's-self of brain fog! I chuckled as I meditated upon that a moment or two. If I'm really so tired, I ought to go sleep. Well?...Errr...uh - that isn't _exactly_ what I want to do either. My mind began to drift a bit as I plunked myself down on one of those funny looking stationary excuses for a bicycle. Thoughts of my hours in Hopewell's medical lab began to wander through my memory: (as I commenced to peddle myself into oblivion). Oh, the days of that luxury are gone now. Long gone now.

I used to hide in one of the quarantine rooms and... 'take naps'. Well, sort of. Our dorm was oft too boisterous to warrant any sort of privacy; and the battalion barracks prior? No need for such personal solitude. Neuro-transmitter blockers eliminate the necessity for a lot of things. I sighed rather dispirited. Oh how for what ever urgent reason I seemed to be struggling with all of this at this particular moment? I don't have the foggiest clue! I paused to wipe my face of the grief and sweat that was beginning to accumulate.

I miss the comfort I found in the isolation of those rooms. My thoughts stopped for just one brief moment to loose themselves in the memory. Just me, the reflections in my head, sensations in my body and the God I prayed to for understanding of this all. I rested well on some of those days, drifted off contented and awoke in a quiet joyful calm. I miss that. I sighed rather sadly as my attention floated toward Katook: (who was now engaged in an array of rather childish dance steps with the treadmill). Juvenile clones! I quietly giggled before my mind sank back down into it's muddy despair. What is there to be so sad about? I often wondered, but never really understood.

"It says it right there; that the Lord was wroth with - because he spilled his seed!" I suddenly snickered as the ill-fated advice I'd overheard one student give to another came to mind. Sentury, Japah, Katook and myself were standing behind two fellows in the cafeteria line who were engaged in thus weighty debate.

"The good graces of being sterile." Katook whispered with a smirk, while I only cast back an amused cringe.

"What?" Japah just looked curiously at both of us.

"That _M_ word they all whisper about." Katook quietly indicated as he twirled his finger in the air.

"Oh yeah." Japah replied with a reaction that was about as serious as a heart attack. "That came up as a topic of conversation in one of my psychology classes." He tapped his chin, nodded a bit and than just shrugged. "What's the big deal anyways?" He looked inquisitively at Katook and myself. "What's it feel like?" He queried.

Katook and I just peered at each other. Alright, who wants to tackle this one? We both giggled a bit.

"Oh well, what the hell." Katook muttered with a shrug. "It's kind of hard to explain." He went on to answer. "Not exactly like anything I've ever experienced before." He folded his arms and rubbed his face as he tried to come up with the words.

"It's like the rush of running into a battle, but feels a lot safer." I suddenly popped out with an explanation that was unexpected, even to myself. "Safer and comforting." I mumbled thoughtfully.

"Yeah!" Katook suddenly looked at me and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, good one." He wagged his finger.

"Hum." Was Sentury and Japah's only observation.

Odd topic of conversation, I know. I giggled quietly as my recollections now drifted to a memory of one of Shazam's lengthy expositions on clone candor. I think in his mind, he was constructing some future imagined doctoral thesis he planned to write about us. Anyways. "If you don't really want to know, than don't ask because they_**will**_ tell you." He'd chuckled as he gave his fellow sparring partner a good rattling.

"Tell him what?" I cracked one of Katook's goofy smiles.

"That there's no topic of conversation that's off limits amongst you all." Shazam answered. "You guys probably don't even realize how close you are; do you?" He cocked his head and looked at Katook and I.

"No!" We suddenly sung in unison as we both took exactly two equal steps in the opposite direction of the other.

"Damn!" Shazam's companion muttered under his breath. "It's like talkin to a single dude."

"Life in and army of one." Shazam grinned. "You get used to it."

Yeah, safety and comfort. My thoughts wandered back to the present. Two things we all could use more of. I sighed in half- hearted sorrow and half-hearted amusement as I watched Katook commence a good argument with the elliptical machine.

"I feel so rotten." His words wafted through my recollections of the old racquetball cubicles back on campus.

"Katook what's wrong?" I inquired when he began slamming the little rubber balls into the wall.

"I hate them! I Hate Them!" His yelling digressed into raging screams. "Just like the cronkies! I'm Glad Their Dead And I HOPE THEY ROT IN HELL!" He raged on, as he beat the racket against the cinder block wall.

"Katook. KATOOK!" I hollered when he began pounding the bricks with his fists.

"_**WHAT!" **_He screamed as he whirled around and glared at me with a wild rage I'd never seen in him before.

"I know." I whispered soberly. "I'm glad they're dead too."

We stood momentarily staring at each other; my soul sunk in grief, while Katook's body shivered with the rage he fought to contain.

"How? HOW?" The screams came welling up and bursting forth. "They killed those girls! Killed them and I couldn't stop it!" Katook clawed at his own head as if he could somehow scrape it all away. "I wake up in the middle of the night and all I see is Jenny splattered all over her sorority house wall!" He began to choke on his own remembrances. "Even after I get out of the shower; I, I can't wash the guilt away."

Yeah, I know. I remember sighing. I know.

You're different now. My mind suddenly flashed to the present as I watched Katook who had found another apparatus to either train on, or pick a fight with. We are _all_ different now. I began to reflect. Different from what we'd been, as well as what we will be. I let out a sigh as the whizzing of the stationary cycle's wheel faded into the stillness of time. It feels like 100 years have passed. I muttered to the solitude of my own conscience. Different yeah, I smiled in half relief and half satisfaction. The 'I feel like I've been dropped into someone else's life' sort of... different.

Well, speaking of someone else's life! I chuckled as the door slid open and Jester stepped in, followed by Joel.

"I think we got all the adjustments taken care of." Joel announced as he waved me over to come check out the adapted head gear that had once belonged to... someone. "We cleaned this one and it was the most functional of all of them." Joel went on. "Ray helped wipe it's memory, than Professor Drake and Dart reprogrammed our current navigation into it." He explained as he handed me the helmet. "There's also a fail-safe auto encrypt; just in case you get separated from it." He cocked his head and grinned.

"Well good." I nodded. "What about the armor?"

"Dr. Salachika is putting it through the ion stretcher as we speak." Joel chuckled.

"Right after she took it out of the molecule bender; eh?" I eyed Joel.

"Yeah, something like that." He swivelled his head in feigned agreement.

"And don't worry, I did remember to pack the left handed monkey wrench." Jester followed with all flawless sobriety.

"Good!" We laughed as we gave him a hearty slap on the back.

"Seriously though, another 15 to 20 minutes." Joel indicated as he commenced to excuse himself, while we just seemed... stuck there for what ever reason.

"You nervous?" Jester inquired, his voice sounding a bit tense.

"Yeah, a little." I reluctantly confessed.

"Coward." He snickered sheepishly.

"Shall we go hide?" I countered in like banter. Jester smiled.

"You remember your first battle?" He suddenly questioned, seeming a bit lost in his own thoughts, as he peered around the training room. "We had spaces like this on Kamino." He mumbled. "Too many bright lights though. It's kind of dark in here."

"Yeah well, we like comforting light." I replied with a bit of a sigh.

"It never changes does it?" Jester's thoughts spilled out.

"What never changes?" I looked at him.

"Battles." He replied. "They're always the same. They get stuck in your brain the same. Kind of like they never really happen, but they did. You sort of get used to it too; don't you?" He glanced over at me.

"Yeah." I paused a moment and nodded in credit to his markedly accurate description. "You're right, battles do get stuck in your brain and they don't ever seem real; but you know they are."

"War is like walking that strange world; somewhere between a place like Alderan and the dark side." Jester mumbled reflectively.

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.." I reiterated in a phrase I was more familiar with. "I will fear no evil."

"The valley of the shadow of death." Jester looked straitly at me and just stood there, as if I'd suddenly smacked him across the face with some profound truth. "But there's so much death in that valley." He whispered.

"Yeah." I sighed. "I know."

We stood for a few more eternal moments just sort of... peering at each other.

"Well come on, let's go." He finally said.

"Yes, let's go get this over with." I mumbled quietly to myself.

We wandered back toward the medical lab and I took a quick detour to the shower. Jester occupied himself that few minutes by playing cards with Japah. Afterwards we spent the next three quarters of the hour harassing Dr. Salachika with endless stupid jokes about ion stretchers and molecule benders. She took it well; (she usually does) and we concluded with the task of perfecting the retrofitting on the Jango clone armor.

In that time though, I did find out another thing about Jango clones that I hadn't already known. They apparently like the sound of Savawarhian voices; as both Ray and Jester had actually made a few requests for Dr. Salachika to... sing. Now it's not that my army had never heard, or known of this Savawarhian talent. I guess the best description I could give, is that they almost sound like a cross between a human child and a crystal bell. It's a very distinct tonal quality and one I'd often heard in the cloning facilities while I was growing up. What ever the reason being? Whether it passed the work day faster, or for the pure sake of entertaining us; the researchers did a lot of singing.

Hum? I thought to myself. The things we take for granted.

"I made You promises a thousand times." The good doctor continued the request with a familiar verse.

"I tried to hear from heaven, but I talked the whole time." I joined in.

"I think I made You too small." Dr. Salachika swung around in her chair and looked directly at me. "I never feared You at all. No, oh. If You touched my face would I know You?"

"Looked into my eyes could I behold You?" I returned.

"What do I know of You, who spoke me into motion." We joined in unison. "Where have I even stood, but the shore along Your ocean? Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? What do I know? What do I know of holy?" We started to chuckle as we looked at each other and than glanced over at Jester, who was simply staring at us in enchanted fascination.

"Holy?" He paused a moment and mumbled curiously.

"What do I know of Holy?" Dr. Salachika burst into a subsequent verse as she threw her hands in the air, stood up and began walking toward Jester. "What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame and the God who gave life it's name!" She poked him in the chest. "What do I know of holy, of the One whom the angles praise, all of creation knows Your name, in earth and heaven above, what do I know of this love?"

"The Kaminoans never got it!" Ray giggled innocently as he continued talking to Shadow, while Jester just kept looking peculiarly at the doctor. Finally his attention drifted to me.

"That was a common song they would sing to us." I answered as I gestured toward our medical officer. "I guess it served to remind them that manipulating DNA does not give life; God does."

Jester only cocked his head at me as an expression of profound sadness suddenly swept across his face.

"Cloned you have been, but in the image of God you are!" Dr. Salachika reiterated as she pointed from me to Jester. "And damned I be, if that I forget." She suddenly paused a brief moment as she gave us both an odd look. "What the hell just happened?" She muttered. "I don't talk like that!"

"Yoda." Jester mumbled.

"The force be with you." Dr. Salachika declared, a bit shocked by her own words. "The Force with capital F that is." She corrected herself a moment as she looked at me. "Did you feel that?" She asked.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Welcome to the strange world I live in."

"Fight the dark side!" We all jumped at Ray's sudden outburst; his hand now thrust in Jester's direction. "It was the chosen one." He yelled as he pounded his fists on the table and stood up. "He did this to us!" He screamed in rage while bounding up to Jester. "The dark side fight you must, or consume you it will!" He commanded as he rattled Jester by the chest plate. "Resist the devil and he shall flee." Ray suddenly paused a moment seeming a bit mystified by what he'd just uttered.

"I DID!" Jester hollered in response as he smacked Ray in the chest. Ray took a couple of steps back while Jester clasped his hands over his ears, obviously still trapped within his own torment. "Yoda never fell to the dark side." He yelled at Ray. "If he had, he wouldn't have mind f-ff-flupped you guys." Jester gasped and sputtered and coughed as he dropped to the floor and put his forehead to the deck. "I even prayed to this God of theirs for help." The fury began to mount. "It never was Anakin." He railed. "Palpitine gave the order." Jester gasped again as he pushed himself back to his feet and looked Ray in the eye. "It didn't work though!" He decreed as he poked at Ray. "Kanobi is still alive and so is the one who will restore balance!"

"What?" Ray mumbled as Dr. Salachika just looked curiously at me.

I don't know? I shrugged. Weird. She mouthed.

"How do you know this?" Ray squinted suspiciously at Jester.

"I don't know?" Jester coughed. "I think it was their God?" He wiped his face as he doubled over and began to shudder. "Helped me, figure it out - maybe? I..I guess?" He panted a few times between breaths in his best attempts to keep from vomiting all over himself. "Balance will come." Jester declared through his heaves. "But kind of like their Revelation; a time of darkness, a great tribulation will fall upon us." Jester looked up at Ray as he sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to stand strait. "After that, balance will return."

"A reign of righteousness?" Dr. Salachika looked at me questioningly.

"No, not righteousness." Jester turned to her. "Just balance. Light doesn't balance out darkness. It conquers it." He mumbled, just before he shook his head; as if he was suddenly coming back to his senses.

"That's true." I commented while Ray's attention also now floated toward me.

"What?" He shook his head in confusion.

"Is it not the dark side into their world, wishes to seep?" Jester continued in this odd arrangement of wording that seemed to be randomly following our conversation. "Or the light of their world that pierced our darkness... has?"

"Jester?" Ray asked directly. "Where is Yoda?"

"I don't know." Jester replied. "The force would never tell me that; and..." He paused a moment. "I don't think their God would either." He pointed to us.

"Who is Yoda?" Dr. Salachika inquired.

"I've heard of him; but I don't really know." I responded.

"I'm not sure either." Jester shook his head as he put his hands over his face and began to rub vigorously. "Wish he'd get out of my brain though!" He mumbled.

"He's a Grand Master Jedi." Ray suddenly broke in. "He was the head of the council. I think he's the only one who's really sure of the identity of lord Vader; except maybe Kanobi?"

"Who's Kanobi?" Dr. Salachika asked.

"He's another Jedi." Ray answered. "The one Cody tried to kill. We have to find him too." Ray began to mutter to himself. "He's tormented; tried suicide."

"Kanobi?" Jester attention shot over to Ray as he shook his head in disconcertion.

"No! Cody!" Ray glared at Jester as if Jester should already know what he was talking about. "The mind violated you know." He cocked his head."Or you should know?" Ray paused a moment looking somberly at Jester. "Palpitine raped you too." He whispered.

Both Ray and Jester stopped and just stood there. It was like the pieces of some mystical puzzle had suddenly materialized. Is that what they all equated this order 66 too? I mulled this over in my brain a moment. How disgustingly scary is that!

Hum. Dr Salachika glanced over at me.

"How do you know... what, what...happened to... Kanobi?" Jester gazed at Ray while tears began running down his cheeks.

"I was standing behind Cody just before the order came." Ray looked compassionately at Jester. "Shadow was going crazy. I kept saying what's wrong Shadow. This is good, Kanobi just killed Grievous. It's over! Shadow though, kept saying: no, no and kept trying to pull me; than everything inside me changed and I saw Cody with the rocket launcher. He shot the rock ledge, but I know he's a better aim than that. He could have hit Kanobi if he really wanted to."

"You think Cody tried to resist?" Jester whispered to Ray.

"Don't you think we all did?" Ray replied.

Dr. Salachika and I just stood quietly watching these two. Jester wiping his tears and Ray resting an empathetic hand on his shoulder. Than the door slid open and Captain San Wan came in.

"Is everyone OK in here?" The Captain queried in a solemn tone.

"Yeah, I think so, but something strange just happened." Dr. Salachika relayed.

"Yes, I know." The Captain replied. "Yoda, contacted... me."

"It is true!" Ray suddenly got excited. "He is alive. How did he reach you?" He inquired of the Captain. "Was it a halo communication or did he touch you with his mind?" Ray suddenly turned to Jester. "I hate it when they do that. Jedi give me headaches."

The Captain let out a trifling smirk. "They give me headaches too." He replied. "In more ways than one." He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "He wants me to come to him." The Captain sighed. "He's concerned about your mission." He suddenly paused to correct himself. "He's concerned about our mission."

"What?" Dr. Salachika just looked at the captain.

"But do we know if he's trustworthy?" I suddenly broke in. "I mean if these Sith can play these mind tricks too. How do we know this really is Yoda; or even that Yoda is who he says he is?"

"Well." Captain San Wan sighed as he gave the hem of his uniform top a tug, folded his arms and looked at all of us as if he wasn't sure he should tell us the next thing on his mind. "He told me to ask my Lord." He nodded in skeptical confirmation before he began to quote what Yoda had said to him. "This Jesus of your Force. He who is not against me is with me. He has said. Only of the dark side beware." Captain San Wan let out a sigh. "He also told me to tell Jester... that my Lord forgives him."

We all paused a moment at Jester's obvious reaction to this. He sucked back a sob and quickly wiped his face.

I just turned and peered strangely at the Captain. "How would Yoda know who God forgives and who He doesn't?" I whispered with one raised eyebrow.

"He believes the force told him." The Captain whispered in return. "And he said he knows it wasn't the dark side, because the dark side knows no forgiveness."

"Well, he's right there!" I nodded in agreement as we both stood quietly pondering that a moment. My eyes drifted toward Jester. Devine forgiveness, how liberating that would be. I smiled at him. He glanced over at me and smiled back.

"So are you ready?" The Captain finally inquired of me.

"Fear not, for I am with you withersoever you go." I quoted.

"Even unto Coruscant." Captain San Wan nodded with a chuckle.

"Even unto Coruscant." I affirmed.

"And?" The Captain subtly indicated in Jester's direction.

"He who has began a good work in you is faithful to complete it." I quoted another verse.

"And if we are wrong?" He looked seriously at me.

"Well than?" I sighed. "Into Your hands I commend my spirit."

"Well than, I guess it's Amen." The Captain gazed thoughtfully at me.

"In the end, that's all any of us can really say." I nodded in return.

"We were made to be courageous." The Captain smiled as he grasped my arms and gave me a reassuring clench.

"We could be the generation that finally breaks the chains." I attested to Jester as I continued the Captains quote.

"God speed and know we will be praying for both of you." The Captain glanced at Jester.

"I know; thank you Sir." I smiled before I turned to my cohort. "Let's roll." I said.

* * *

><p><em>Song lyric segments: <em>

"_What do I know of Holy" by Addison Road_

"_Courageous" by Casting Crowns_


	11. Chapter 11 Nakam and Jester's Adventure

_**Nakam and Jester's Excellent Adventure:**_

Well, I wasn't even three paces from being beamed to the surface of this planet, when I'd stepped in some excrement left by one of it's charming inhabitants.

"Welcome to Coruscant" I could hear Jester laughing through my com-link.

"This place is disgusting." I mumbled in response as I stood there both trying to survey my surroundings and shake off...my booty. "Man I hope this isn't an indicator as to how the rest of this mission is going to go."

"Well, this is the place where the Sith shit runs deep you know." Jester giggled.

"I'll remember my hipsters next time." I muttered.

"Come on let's go this way." Jester indicated with a not so subtle point of his blaster. "Maybe there's a good bar down here. I could use a stiff one." He snickered.

"Too much of that and you'll _be_ a stiff one." I told him. Jester just laughed.

We continued on for about ten minutes, through some narrow streets of very dense pedestrian traffic. Jester was about fifteen paces ahead of me when some strange alien walked between us smiling at me; (or at least I think it was smiling). I looked at him a minute; (or at least I think it was a him), when he suddenly tucked credits into my utility belt. OK? I thought to myself as this creature quickly disappeared down some ally. Coruscant's most wanted? Bribe maybe? I shrugged it off as I grabbed the "cash" out and hurried to catch up to Jester.

"Here's your lunch money." I told him as I handed him the items.

"Where'd you get this from?" Jester seemed surprised as he looked at the lute.

"I don't know some big hairy... something back there." I shrugged. "It looked at me a minute and when I looked back, it stuck this in my utility belt."

"And than ran into some ally right?" Jester started laughing.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I looked at him.

"That's your payment for a quicky!" He answered.

"A quicky?" I glared suspiciously at Jester. "Do I want to know?" I cautiously inquired.

"No." Jester answered curtly.

"OK." I suddenly wasn't feeling well. "What if he doesn't get his... quicky?" I asked.

"Oh no, it's not his quicky." Jester explained. "He'd give you a quicky. They like the taste of human...er; you know." Jester coughed. "Pay big money for it. Good deal if you don't want to sit down for the next two days." He started to snicker.

"You're shittin me right?" I mumbled as I suddenly now felt a bit faint.

"Oh no, I wouldn't shit you Nakam." Jester giggled.

"Well, what if it comes looking for us?" I peered cautiously behind me.

Jester paused a moment and looked me over; his eyes resting on my blaster. "If he does, just shoot him." He simply shrugged as he continued to walk. "Another thing I forgot to tell you. Don't make eye contact with the big hairy ones."

"Yeah, I'll remember that." I mumbled. "Thanks for the tourist's tip."

Two days! Ouch. I cringed as I peered over at Jester wondering if his advice was born out of personal experience? Than again, pictures I don't want in my head. I shook the thought away.

We continued on for another fifteen or so minutes. I was just getting over the hairy alien "John" when I saw another ghastly scene. Several droids transporting a large slug on a plush canopied platform.

"What the hell is that?" I mumbled, a bit surprised when Jester started laughing again. Oh yeah, he can hear me. I suddenly remembered; not quite sure at this point if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"That's a Hutt." Jester answered.

"Ah What?" Came my befuddled inquiry.

"Not a what; a Hutt." He laughed again. "And female too!" He turned toward me and stuck his thumb between the plates of his pelvic and leg armor. "Hahhh Thiiiiiit!" He hissed.

"Jester, it's a slug on velvet!" I commented rather dryly, not really knowing why I was the only one who seemed to notice there was something wrong with this picture.

"Velvet, silk, satin. Take your pick; the hairy John or her? Who'd _you_ like to slip between the sheets with tonight?" Jester started to howl.

"After you brother." I retorted.

"Me Nakam! OK, at least we're the same species!" Jester countered, just before he turned and pounced on me.

"Hate to see you drunk." I only shook my head at him as he fell to the ground laughing hysterically. Several civilians and a couple of androids walked by shaking their heads. Stoned clones. Yeah, I can imagine. I let out a sigh as I watched them scurry away before I pulled Jester off the street.

The next ten or so minutes were uneventful, that is until Jester spotted a continua.

"Hey come on; let's go in there." He poked at me before he pointed to the bar.

"No, I don't want to go in there." I flat out refused.

"Party pooper." Jester sighed heavily as he folded his arms like an angry two year old.

"Yeah, I know and I got the proof on my boots. You wanna see?" I retorted.

"No, I believe you." He said. "Come on. Let's go!" He mumbled as he grabbed my arm and dragged me along.

"Alright. Alright. Let go of me." I protested when we reached the entrance.

"Take your bucket off." He instructed. "Act like you're in this army."

"You mean act like a du'kit." I mumbled. Jester shot me one of those looks.

"OK. Fair enough." He suddenly threw his hands in the air as he slipped inside and made a survey of the joint.

Much to my surprise, it really wasn't _that_ busy. Than again is was the middle of the day. Even a place like Coruscant had it's... standards - I guess? I shrugged as I walked over and took a seat next to a guy who was alone at a corner table. I like corners. I nodded in satisfaction as I spent the next minute or so casing the establishment myself. Being "backed in a corner" was never a good feeling, but at least I could see everything that was going on and less of a chance of someone sneaking up on me. One of those side effects of PTSD I guess.

I plopped my helmet on the table as my eyes drifted toward the stranger tucked in the corner. I could see he was another Jango clone and one that had seen either combat or a bad accident. One side of his face was all scared.

"Hello." I nodded. He only sat glaring suspiciously at me before his attention returned to his beverage.

"Jester." I whistled a bit when he'd finally emerged from the men's room. I waved him over, keenly noting that the clone hiding in the shadows of the dark corner seemed suddenly interested in the name. What's the chance they know each other? I pondered a moment. Naw, that would be _**too**_ weird. I dismissed the thought with a slight wag of the hand.

Jester came tripping over, after he'd managed to secure us some 'liquid refreshment'; as he called it. Was it fatigue or had he already taken a couple of swigs of this stuff? I wasn't sure; but after the past hour or so of wandering these freaky streets, I was ready for something that had a little kick to it too. Jester plunked the mugs down, followed by his helmet before he suddenly froze.

"Chopper?" He whispered in a nearly inaudible voice.

Chopper, Chopper. I've heard that name before. My thoughts began to rewind as I squinted searchingly at Jester and than glanced back at this other fellow.

The corner ducking stranger peered anxiously at Jester. Was it the nerves of; did I know this fellow and was happy to be reunited to a long lost brother, or did I know him and hope he didn't realize he'd recognized me? Several minutes passed as these two former comrades seemed stuck in a time warp. I could tell they knew each other, but didn't seem to know what to make of that fact. Jester slid his drink out of the way and slowly sat down.

"This is Nakam." Jester whispered his introduction. "He's a fr... No, he's a brother." He stumbled over his words. The stranger said nothing, but glanced briefly at me.

"You're a brave soul." I lent my observation. "Been a long war." I quietly acknowledged. "Welcome home."

The stranger's blank face twisted into a frown as his empty eyes filled with tears. He still didn't say anything though, just pulled the collar of his jumpsuit up over his face and let it take his grief away. He sat for several more long minutes just watching Jester. Jester made a few attempts at some small talk; but this man, whom I could now identify as Chopper didn't respond.

"It can't be you're still alive." He finally mumbled to Jester. "You've stopped shaking."

Jester sat quietly for several more long minutes seemingly not knowing what to make of his friend's observation.

"Yeah, Uh... I guess I don't shake any more." Jester glanced down at his hands and than back at his long lost brother.

"What's it like on the other side?" Chopper mumbled as he drew in a deep breath, obviously trying to hide the well of emotion dammed up within the plates of armor.

"It's good on the other side." Jester sniffled as the tears came dripping out. "You can come too." He pleaded as his friend got up to leave. "Wait Chopper!" Jester followed him half way across the room. "I forgive you." Jester called after him. Chopper suddenly stopped and slowly turned around.

"They'll never forgive any of us." He muttered sternly to Jester.

"There's only One who's forgiveness we really need!" Jester replied with gaunt conviction.

"No." Chopper shook his head, slowly turned back around and walked out of the Continua.

"Wait!" Jester called after him as he hurried outside himself.

Suddenly came a squeal, a boom and a crash. Jester screamed. I jumped up, grabbed our gear and ran outside. Some man with a small hover craft was cursing Jester out.

"DAMN CLONES!" He yelled as he jumped back in his vehicle and sped away.

Chopper lay on the ground. His lifeless eyes stared into the sky as blood oozed from his mouth and one ear. I could tell just by looking at him that he was already gone. I hurried over to Jester who was trying desperately to shake his friend back to life. I could hear some faint siren in the distance. Police or ambulance, what ever it was; we had to get out of here.

"Come on Jester." I gently whispered as I put my arms around his shoulders and hoisted him to his feet. Jester just turned his head and looked at me. OK He nodded as he glanced back down at Chopper, grabbed something off the body, threw his helmet on, shouldered his blaster and went running in the direction of the hover car.

I paused a moment or two to survey the surroundings. I knew Jester had flipped into combat mode and there would be no catching him on foot. Ah, I'm in luck! I felt a wave of relief when I laid eyes on one of those speeder bikes I'd seen these troopers flying around here on. Despite the fact that I'd never ridden one of these jiggers. How hard can it be? I hoped for the best as I hopped on and took off.

I'd managed to find Jester, although I could tell from the knots of traffic that there was no way we'd ever catch the guy who hit Chopper. Jester jumped on the back of the bike, still caught somewhere between Coruscant and the battlefield; his affect blank and his emotions as flat-lined as Chopper's heart rate.

"Yes, the mission comes first." He mumbled to me. "The mission always comes first."

"I'm sorry Jester. I'm sorry that happened." I tried to console him.

"I know." He sighed. "It's not your fault though."

"I know it's not; but." I squeaked as we made a sudden hard left to avoid hitting a building. "I need your help." I mumbled through gritted teeth and knotted stomach.

"Yeah, what?" Jester answered without even as much as a flinch.

"How do you drive this damn thing?"

After a few brief instructions. I managed to pull over and stop the speeder. We switched places, as I figured Jester knew better how to pilot this beast than I; (or at least I hoped he did). We got back on "the road" and after a few minutes of humming through the streets; Jester suddenly asked a question.

"Nakam, why does it always happen that way?" He inquired.

"What?" I replied.

"Why am I here and he's not?" Jester mumbled.

"I don't know." I mumbled in return. "I've asked the same question myself hundreds of times. I still don't have the answer."

"Do you think he made it to the other side?" Jester asked another question.

"You mean to heaven?" I peered around Jester, almost as if I could see the thoughts in his eyes.

"Is that what you call it?" He quietly mumbled.

"Yeah." I whispered. "The light side of eternity." I sighed. "That's heaven."

"Hum." Was Jester's only response.

Another ten minutes or so had passed before Jester finally pulled the speeder over. Both of us were still lost in our own little worlds, trying to strike that balance somewhere between the past and the future. The temporal and the eternal. My thoughts wandered as I began to pray for Jester. Lord, You said You came to heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds. I really want to believe there's room somewhere in that statement for a desperate clone who walked into moving traffic.

We sat quietly, resting just on the outskirts of some small park. There were several other men arrayed in our same armor wandering the perimeter and I really wanted to take this stupid

helmet off, but wasn't sure that would be a good idea. Jester had reassured me that it was OK, since the Empire was now starting to recruit "natural borns" as he called them. But I'm still a clone you know. I chuckled at the irony of that.

"But I know he's here somewhere. I can feel him." I was suddenly startled by a woman's voice in my helmet; (or at least I think it was in my helmet)? I sat up and looked around. Jester had preoccupied himself by throwing little pebbles into one of the fountains. So, thus I concluded that he was not getting the same message.

"How do you know it's him?" A voice that sounded like one of us replied.

"Because he feels just like you." The woman reported. "Well, not exactly like you, but he feels like a clone; you know." The woman amended her description.

"Shiloh?" I stood up and looked around.

"Got him! Stay there!" Shiloh's voice instructed. "And don't look around. The guards are searching for us. We'll send instructions."

"OK." I mumbled as I quietly sat down.

"Hey Nakam?" The next voice I heard coming through my com-link was that of Jester.

"What?" I suddenly turned to him.

"I got a coordinate flash on our private channel. You know anything about that?" He questioned.

"That's our cue; let's go!" I told Jester.

We hopped on the speeder and took off toward where the GPS was instructing us to go. It was at least a twenty minute ride through cross sections of heavy traffic. Jester jumped into one of the troop transit lanes the last ten minutes. We managed to dodge police and a few other patrols; as I suppose it was only those of listed itinerary who were suppose to be flying these lanes. We dropped down into the lower street traffic, where we finally landed under a building's outcropping. A man, who looked to me to be another Jango clone dressed in civilian clothes, pointed us to park the speeder in some sort of storage unit. Once we pulled in, he closed the door behind us. Boy, I hope that's not a bad sign. I thought to myself.

We got off the speeder just as this other man was coming in one of the shed's doors. Jester had taken his helmet off and was cautiously creeping up to another obvious ghost from his past. Once the man had finished locking us all in; he turned around.

"Fives?" Jester whispered. The other man looked at him as if he thought he should be able to finger the name but was having difficulty. "It's Jester." Came his answer.

"Yes, Jester. I _do_ remember you." The other man; (who had a five tattooed on his forehead) replied in blunt recognition. "Hey brother!" He announced as he ran toward us and the two embraced. Well, I'm glad this reunion went better than the last. I blew out a long slow breath.

"Fives, this is Nakam. He's one of Shiloh's brothers." Jester introduced us.

"Nice to meet you." Fives stuck his hand out.

"Hey, I guess some thing never change." I smiled warmly as I heartily accepted his familiar greeting. "Good to see a friendly." I nodded.

"Yeah it is. Especially around here." Fives acknowledged. "Come on, let's go up stairs. We got other friendly's to meet." So we proceeded to a lift and spent close to fifteen minutes walking a labyrinth of narrow halls and locked doors.

"What is this place?" I queried in befuddled consternation. "Some sort of old government bunker?"

"No." Fives laughed. "It's just an apartment building on security steroids. We got a variety of good neighborly types in here." He chuckled. "Some crime lords, drug dealers, underground resistance movement, lot of deserter clones and a few Jedi. Welcome to one of Coruscant's ghettos."

"Ahh, nice." I mumbled a bit warily.

"Well, here we are." Fives announced as he began punching numbers into one last door. A little red light on the frame began to blink and someone came from the inside to unlock it. The stranger cracked a little slit; just wide enough for us to slip inside. Before us stood a third Jango clone with two small alien children hiding behind him.

"Hello, my name is Ace." He introduced himself as he quickly locked the door. "I see you've already met Fives." He continued. "This is Katiah and Borras." He looked down, around and behind him. "Hey!" He growled playfully at one of the children.

"Ace huh!" I smiled as I offered a handshake. "Ace as in pilot?"

"No, Ace as in bandage." Came a third voice from the other room. "He's a medic."

"Thanks Rex. I was just moving up the ladder of prestige there!" Ace hollered over his shoulder.

"You're prestigious enough bro." Came a forth voice and a bit of a confusing one at that, on account of the fact that it was actually female.

"Bro?" I flashed Ace a curious look.

"Any medic in _this _army that can deliver a baby is an ace to me." The face behind the voice suddenly appeared in the hallway.

"Holy Blaster Bolts! It's the girl clone!" Jester suddenly exclaimed as the rest of us burst into blurts of snickers.

"Subtle, aren't ya." I elbowed Jester.

"Holy Blaster Bolts?" Ace muttered as he threw Jester one of those ridiculously dumb looks.

"The Girl Clone!" Fives threw his hands in the air as he flashed his Jango sister a surprised expression of pure and utter lunacy.

"Yeah, it's the girl clone." She murmured as she shook her head, seeming a bit annoyed.

"That's Bethlehem; or Bethie for short." Ace gestured behind him. "Hey what's Rex doing?" He inquired of her.

"Making lunch." She started to laugh as she peered behind her. "Or at least, trying to."

"Hey, I heard that!" Came a growl from the kitchen.

"Good!" Came Fives reply. "Than get your shebs out here, there's someone you're gonna wanna meet!"

"Hey, I don't care if we're all deserters. I still out-rank you!" Came a forth Jango brother, clad in what looked to be pajamas, with a loosely tied apron wrapped about his torso and bearing a dish towel in his hands.

"Captain Rex?" Came Jester's surprise expression of utter shock. "You ditched the blond hair." He mumbled in awe.

"Yes we all remember the old Captain Rex, Well, here's the new softer, more domesticated Captain Rex." Fives presented his former commander as he started to snicker.

"Shut up." Rex grunted as he gave Fives a good slug. "A real man can still cook a souffle and don't you forget that!" He continued to poke a few more times at a giggling Fives. "Was a day I only had to put up with that from Cody." He mumbled.

"Oooouch." Fives whined as he rubbed his shoulder.

"So who we got here?" Rex continued to dry his hands before he turned and threw the towel at Bethie; who was still back there snickering.

"That's Jester and I'm Nakam." I introduced us; (and I think for the first time too)?

"Jester? Jester! Ahhh, yeah. I remember you." Rex wagged his finger at his former subordinate before he paused a moment and shifted positions; now not seeming sure if his memory was serving him correctly. "You're different?" Rex looked questioningly at him. "Weren't you... real nervous type?"

"Yeah, I was a real mess." Jester reluctantly admitted with a shrug. "Till I got captured by these clowns." He giggled as he pointed to me.

"Yeah, and fine clowns ya'all are!" Rex interrupted as he stuck his hand out in a familiar greeting. I smiled as I gave it a shake in return for a good natured brotherly slap on the shoulder. "Well come on in and sit down." Rex welcomed us into his kitchen. "With the way these slobs eat, I made plenty of food." He laughed.

"Hey, hey, hey." His brothers all protested.

"And?" Fives glared at Rex as he vigorously pointed at Bethie who was already sitting at the table with a fork in one hand, a knife in the other and a smirk on her face.

"She got a better excuse than you." Rex retorted. "There's two of her."

"Yeah, and you neglect to mention the other one of her is only _**five**_ kilos." Fives grumbled at Rex.

"Well yeah, but I don't see her other five kilos sucking milk out of your body!" Rex countered as Ace burst out laughing.

"Yeah Fives, I'd like to see that one!" Ace howled, almost falling off his chair.

"So would I?" Bethie snickered.

So we sat down to a hearty lunch. All served up by a former army captain who I later learned had been dishonorably demoted for a "stupid incident" as he'd referred to; but never elaborated upon. Both he and Fives had been working with the underground resistance and some inside help. They were hacking into this newly formed empire's mainframe defense computer in order to extract people and information. Shiloh, who appeared later upon our lunch scene with a Jedi named Alexandria, was filtering technological information to this resistance. Alexandria apparently had a lot of "friends" in this ghetto. Some of which were truly trusted confidants, while others existed purely on a mutual "peaceful co-survival" agreement.

Much to my aching dismay though, I'd learned Shiloh was wounded when this order 66 came down. He'd later had most of his left leg amputated due to an infection. One of the other clones in this building managed to secure him a hover / wheelchair, when it's previous owner was suddenly found dead in one of the streets below. Drug deal gone bad; they'd guessed. Shiloh had said he was fairing well enough, given the circumstances they were all in; but I could tell, something just wasn't right with my old friend. I couldn't quite put a finger on it, but I knew he just wasn't well. Oh God, I prayed as I laid down in this cramped apartment to sleep that evening. Please get us all out of here alive.


	12. Chapter 12 A Farewell to Arms

_**A Farewell to Arms:**_

Well, the next morning came without much incident; except Jester's struggle with what happened to Chopper. He'd had a fitful night of sleep; of which I knew all to well, since he'd taken up residency next to me on the livingroom floor. He seemed sort of stuck in that space of - did this really happen or didn't it? Than again; he readily admitted to being suck in the space of - did _we _really happen or didn't we?

"Well, you're here." He kept poking me. "I guess you really do exist."

"Thank you for that observation." I only smiled and nodded knowingly; for I'd tasted of the times when we've all had our breaks with reality.

Jester seemed to be appreciative of the understanding, as he decided the best thing he could do is go about helping Alexandria and Ace in the planning of their shopping trip. Strangely enough, it seemed to me that Jester had never been to a grocery store? Or at least never to what ever rendering of thus, this planet offered? Probably nothing like the Fair De Lay in Pleasant Valley though. I chuckled. I'd made a request of Alexandria for some filet mignon. She asked me how badly I really wanted it; than told me I'd have to stand on a street corner and wait for a "hairy John". Well, that curbed the appetite in considerable haste.

Any ways; speaking of food. Another lesson of default I'd learned was just how much babies actually eat. (In reality, I don't think they eat that much, as much as they eat that often.) Bethie's five kilo clone seemed to always be hungry. I'd pick her up to hold her and every time she'd get close to some exposed skin; she'd latch on. Sorry deary, you're not going to get any milk out of my forearm, or the side of my face; but I give you credit for your perseverance. The infants in our cloning facilities never did that. Anomaly of breast fed babies I reckon; or at least so as thus Alexandria has informed me. Interesting world we live in.

This of course raises the question I dare not ask as I sit looking at the faces around the table. This five kilo clone named Grace is indeed a clone; yet obviously a naturally born one. So? Ah... who's the dad? (Ehhh, not sure I want to try and tackle that one? I certainly know it's not you! My thoughts digressed as my eyes rested on Shiloh.) Either way, I do suppose that invariably answers the genetic question of what do you get if you cross two clones! (A third one! Err Err Err.) Again, interesting world we live in.

Well, we've spent the past two hours trying to decode the strange string of messages / occurrences / mind melding warps through space and the such like, we've received from Yoda. Alexandria apparently has gotten tracked bits of information, both through the force and the underground network of resistance people. One item that's apparently high on Rex's 'list of things to do before I'm vaporized' is to find this Jedi Padawan named Ashoka Tano. Rumor and reason has it that she's still alive. The only problem being, no-one seems to have a clue where she is?

Another question of burning importance is how much Intel does this empire actually have on us? That's a tough one; since our presence here is a highly guarded secret by all parties involved. We do know they have evidence of our existence, for it's common knowledge that they've used some of our technology to invariably kill off an entire planet. Shiloh deeply regrets now not having cremated his fellow clones who'd died in the first super-warp accident. All the dead had been buried in the mountains; only to be later exhumed by the former republic and believed to have actually been flown here to Coruscant.

I guess one positive, that providence had brought out of this mass genocide; is that most of the science behind this weapon was lost in the subsequent explosion. Alexandria wasn't sure how this happened, but apparently someone had set a five minute detonation to this weapon's lab. In a matter of 30 minutes, not only was everything dead; but nearly the entire surface of the planet became an inferno. Talk about the gates of hell!

Anyways; Rex is having a bit of a fitful day. After pulling an all-nighter with the computer hackers sub-committee two floors down; they think they may have been compromised? The latest Intel they'd received was that the rumored suicidal Cody had managed to succeed. There's conflicting reports though. His clone number hasn't showed up on the rosters of the dead or missing and the info on the last known whereabouts of his ship, has suddenly disappeared into the Empire's black hole of the "Top Secret". There was a Cody spoken to on the ship that we'd pulled Jester and Ray off; but we're not sure it's the same Cody? Neither Ray nor Jester knew of this particular Commander having been stationed on their ship. Oddly though, Ray and Jester _**have**_ showed up on the missing roster; but supposedly their ship is still in commission? I smell a rat here; a big black hairy one _(that wears a cape)_! So consequently, we're all now on high vacate alert.

Another potential monkey wrench thrown into all of this is that we will be receiving another landing party here in two days. Katook, Joel and Sentury are headed our way. There wasn't much specified on this, but from what I could gather on the positioning of the message's relay; they are already on this planet somewhere. I'm guessing they'd been first sent to another underground faction for reasons undisclosed to us. I'm just hoping we won't have to move out before they get here.

The morning trip to the store turned out to be quite an adventure; I must say. I'd gone with Jester, Alexandria and Ace; only to find myself running from a patrol that was out in "the killing fields". Jester and I were picking through some fruit when we got an emergency alert from Alexandria's com-link. Some clone claimed to have recognized her.

I came to her aid as Ace and Jester ducked out to ensure our means of escape was still secure. We'd made it out into the street, when the blaster bolts started to fly. Alexandria held off from whipping out her light-saber as long as she could. She was cornered though, so with few other options; that whizzing hum and flying flashes of light made their appearance. She'd deflected several bolts back in the direction of these Storm troopers. One took a hit and went flying over some storage boxes that (once had been) neatly stacked next to a shop. Two other white armor clad men came out of nowhere, charging toward me. I jumped a small hedge of tangled briar bushes and raced down and ally.

"Stun 'em!" I heard a call over my com-link. "Before they call it in!"

Stun 'em? Well I wasn't sure if that was a good idea; seeing how it'd be a dead give away that someone 'out of the norm' was in here yonder parts.

"Ah-ha!" I suddenly exclaimed as I spotted a docking ledge, went running and took a flying leap. Alright where'd you go? I panicked a bit, my eyes darting around before I felt someone grab me.

"_**I don't know what it is with you clones!"**_Alexandria yelled over the rush of squealing vehicles. _**"You're all nuts!"**_ She slapped her hands against the air.

"_**No?"**_ I protested as I tired to hatch a good follow up line. _**"The force be with us!" **_I grinned as I blurted out the first notion that came to mind.

"_Force, I'll give ya force." _Alexandria flashed a vestige of frustration as she held a clawed taloned of a hand up to my face.

"_**Ahhhh! Don't pinch my brain. That's not fair!" **_I protested. _"But I guess that's what I get for playing mind pea-knuckle with a Jedi."_

"Everyone OK?" Rex asked as we zipped to a screeching halt, just before we would have flattened him. Again, he didn't so much as wince. I guess all _those_ clones are crazy! I snickered to myself as I shook my head and my eyes made a pained survey of the surroundings. Where we were, I didn't know; but I could discern it wasn't the apartment complex.

"You alright?" Rex lent a slap of commiseration.

"Other than a headache; I'm fine!" I mumbled as Rex only stood looking a bit perplexed. Alexandria glanced at him and grinned. Rex only nodded in return; than cracked a little smile.

"Ruthless." He smirked at me.

"Errrr!" I growled as I waved him away.

"Well, I think some excitement is good for all of us." Shiloh added his two cents as we walked in the door of yet another strange apartment. "Life as an outlaw sometimes gets dull." He chuckled.

"Yeah, but this is the third time we've moved in two weeks." Bethie offered a rather cantankerous commentary over the cries of her unhappy clone baby.

"You sure she aint hungry again?" Fives snickered; just before he was hit with what looked like a canister of baby soap.

Is it that, or rather you only want to watch her be fed. My expression must have given my thoughts away as Fives jumped up and slugged me on his way to the kitchen.

"Don't look at me like that!" He mumbled with perfect execution of his subtle 'hit and run'.

"OK?" I just shook my head. "Ouch." And rubbed my arm.

We weren't but five minutes from our current hiding place when a message came in from "Intel". It was our other landing party. A group of fellow resistance cronies were directing them our way. I was glad to see our friends; as were they all glad to finally lay eyes on our long lost brother Shiloh.

"Welcome to my summer home." Alexandria laughed as she showed the remainder of our "official" landing party to the livingroom. Katook of course was enchanted by every little detail he laid his eyes on; especially wee Gracie. He made no bones about snatching her out of Ace's arms and wandering around the apartment cooing at her every little giggle.

"Ah, she's part of a package." Rex joked under his breath. "Can't have one without the other." He coughed as he made a quick survey of the immediate space just to make sure Bethie was still in the "refresher". (I've yet to get used to that terminology.) Katook paused a minute and looked suspiciously at Rex. "You mean there's anther one?" He mumbled.

"Yep." Rex grinned. "But if you're... ah, interested; you better treat 'em right or I'm gonna kick your...shebs!"

"Oh stop it Rex." Alexandria scolded as the others just quietly snickered. Katook paused a minute and peered suspiciously around the room. Alright, who was going to claim this one? I wondered. In all of the past two days; (has it been that long now) no-one had dared breathe even so much as a whisper about this baby clone? Is the truth really going to come out? Who's is she?

Well the truth did emerge that night: (more than one truth, I... uh - later). I sighed as I put the image out of my mind. Gracie's father had died in the line of duty; one of millions of victims of this biological weapon. Sentury told me that the remainder of our crew did actually find his body. They would have buried him, but the radioactive contamination on the planet's surface was still too strong to be out for more than maybe 20 minutes. Mission priorities you know; and burying a body was not high on the list of them. The Captain was meeting with Yoda on a near by moon, while the remnant of "landing party of four" set out to salvage what information they could from this planet. It was not an easy task, as I had heard! Try to conduct an entire mission under cloak! _(Becoming the story of our_ _lives here.)_

Well, speaking of things under... _cloak_. I sat quietly tapping my fingers on the kitchen table as I stared forlornly at Shiloh. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to pop off a few practice grenade launches at something. I was angry, terribly confused and suddenly bitterly despaired. "Do you think any of us are going to get out of here alive?" I peered over at Shiloh.

"Don't know." He quietly sighed.

"Are you scared." I whispered.

"No." Shiloh grinned. "Never thought I'd go out like this but... it's alright." He reached over and grabbed hold of my wrist while he sucked in a labored breath.

"Lot of people are going to miss you; you know that don't you?" I sniffled.

"Yeah, but only temporarily." He coughed with a weak smile as he rested his head on his arm. "I'll save you a seat at the breakfast table." He chuckled.

"Tomorrow morning." I smiled in return. "In the mean time, we better get you back to bed; so you can rest." I said as I got up and lent Shiloh what ever assistance was required to get him back to his room.

"And don't worry about Katook." Shiloh rasped as he collapsed into bed. "He finally found what he's been looking for."

"Yeah." I let out a long sigh as I squished my eyes together and knocked my fist on my forehead a few times. "Just wish I wasn't the one that had _**found**_... them." I muttered, although mostly to myself.

"Ready made family is still a family none the less." Shiloh chuckled as he gave the arm that was still in his grasp a little tug.

"Six hours after meeting?" I shook my head and glared out the window; still lost in my own disbelief. "He doesn't even know her." I mumbled to myself.

"He does now!" Shiloh began to laugh.

I only peered down at him with a scowl and than let out another sigh.

"Come here. Have a seat." Shiloh sighed too as he labored to push himself over a bit and than patted the space he'd made for me.

"I know. I know. I should be happy." I waved my aggravation away as I reluctantly plopped down next to Shiloh. "Just, sudden changes in _**my**_ life!" I stressed without trying to sound too subtly... jealous? "I wasn't ready for him to go do... do _**that!**_" I stopped suddenly as I felt an involuntarily cringe flash across my face. "I mean?" I quickly tried to correct myself. "You know what this army is like."

"Yes, and I also know what altered life in this army is like." Shiloh reassured me. "You know this is the only way it really can be; or at least be right in the eyes of God."

"Yeah." I mumbled as I propped my head up on one hand and tried not to cry. I vigorously rubbed my face a few times, sat up and gazed directly at Shiloh. I'm losing two of you; was the only thought in my head.

Shiloh lay quietly watching me in return. His eyes seemed to say. I can see your pain and I wish I could take you with me ... _but_!

_Yeah ... __**but**__._ I could feel the wet hot tears drip from my eyes as we just watched the other. I felt like I was staring at Shiloh from the bottom of a black hole; drowning in a profound loneliness that had suddenly inundated my soul.

"Do you think there's something wrong with me?" I finally squeaked out in a voice that sounded so much like a small child; it even surprised _me_.

"No, I don't." Shiloh simply answered as he squeezed my arm and closed his eyes. His grip loosened and his raspy breathing slowed to a calm. I sat for a moment looking peculiarly at him; than I leaned my head down to his chest and as surely as Shiloh had been there a moment ago, he too was now gone.

"So, I suppose you've come to pick me up off the floor again." I commented as Alexandria entered a few moments later. She covered Shiloh with his blankets and than simply sat down next to me. She leaned over and again, kissed the side of my face.

"He loved you guys so much." She sniffled and than whispered. "He loved my guys so much too."

And she loved him. I now knew as she cuddled her arms around me, while I just sat stunned and void of any more tears to cry. The afternoon rehearsed it's self again in a never ending parade of blurred snapshots.

"Go get that data node for the Captain." Shiloh had sent me. "We will use the force to help you." Ah yes, the force. We'd been playing a game of catch with "it", shortly before we left to meet a forth party at some rendevous point.

"Don't break my lamp!" Alexandria frantically snatched her beloved item from us as we practiced. "You wanna train a Padawan, use your own things!" She scolded Shiloh.

"Sorry." He meekly apologized.

"Just let us guide you. We'll keep you out of harm's way." Shiloh reassured me as I scurried back up the fire escape to get to the apartment. Their minds seemed to carry me, like hands safely enfolded around my body. I slipped effortlessly through the door which quietly snapped shut behind me. Data node - kitchen counter next to sink. I went strait to the misplaced item. Cries crept through the air though. Vaguely familiar whimpers that seemed out of place? It feels strangely intimate to my soul? My curiosity carried me down the hall to the back bedrooms. There in the reflection of a mirror, through a door that was left open just a crack; I could see them.

"Katook? Katook!" I seemed to be yelling, but for some strange reason couldn't hear my own voice. The air grew thick with the pulse of a life that was drifting further and further from my own with every beat. God is this really happening? I could feel my heart skipping out of rhythm. Small and alone, I closed my eyes and rested my head against the wall. Every ensuing wail drown out the tears of my own grief. My knees buckled and I slid to the floor. I could hear the minds of Alexandria and Shiloh. Those I'd left behind seemingly so many hours ago now. Mission? Data node? My head was spinning. I heard a small click above the fading moans.

"Come on Amornam." A gentle whisper uttered with a kiss. "We have to go."

I opened my tear swollen eyes. Alexandria smiled tenderly at me. She plucked the data node from my sweaty clenched fists and slid it into her bag. Her small hands seemed so industrious and brave as they helped pick me up and lead me back down the hall.

"We'll switch Rex, him for Fives." She said to Shiloh as the apartment door clicked behind us.

"Clone connections." Shiloh had whispered to Rex. "This one just got severed."

I'd sat next to Rex, who was lost in a pool of odd bits of communication devices; just as I now sit next to Alexandria, herself lost in odd bits of linen dressings. Parts of table cloths, sheets and a stray curtain or two. Anything to piece together the semblance of a proper burial shroud for Shiloh. Dr. Salachika was here helping her. I suppose she figured if she'd done all she could and was still unable to find a way to keep Shiloh alive; the least she could do was help inter him. She had returned within a half hour of receiving some sort of notification from Sentury; while he, Ace and Rex spent their time preparing the body.

"He OK?" I heard Dr. Salachika's inquiry over my occasional escaping sob, as Alexandria snuggled me close.

"Been a hard day." She sighed as I could feel her fingers inching through my curls. "They all have such beautiful hair." She whispered in commentary. "So soft and springy." She giggled contentedly as she gave me another squeeze. "I'm going to miss this." Alexandria sniffled.

"Not every day you get to flirt with such young innocence." Dr. Salachika chuckled as she lovingly patted my back.

"You were a cloning researcher. How'd you get such a cuddly army?" Alexandria giggled as she slid her hands across my shoulders and up and down my rib cage.

"Hey that tickles!" I sat up and started to squirm.

"Yeah, I keep forgetting. We got a couple of hot wires here." Alexandria mumbled with a smirk.

"Yes, So I've heard." Dr. Salachika politely nodded. "So I've heard."

The conversation faded off into the distance as Rex came in and helped gather up the linens. I thought momentarily about going in and helping, but I was so exhausted. I'll get up in a minute. I promised myself as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.


	13. Chapter 13 Band of Brothers

_**Band of Brothers:**_

I awoke on the couch, plopped in the same place I'd plopped the night before after having left Shiloh's room. People were busy rummaging about. I got up and walked into his "quarters". The bed was stripped and all of Shiloh's clothes lay in sorted piles on the varying pieces of furniture. I guess it wasn't a dream. He really is gone. I thought to myself.

How did this happen so quickly? I only stood in dazed confusion. He seemed OK yesterday afternoon? How'd he get so sick in... 8 hours? I guess I'm not the only one who's clueless for the answer to that question; since Dr. Salachika actually commandeered the captain's personal shuttle to get here. I sighed as I leaned up against the wall and took one last look around the room. Part time living space. How many of these did they have and was it something left in one that poisoned him? I don't know. God, I don't know any more!

The morning wore on as I sat at the kitchen table alone, puddling my spoon through something that looked like oatmeal. Small piles of clothing and articles of Shiloh's slowly made their way out the door in the hands of strangers. Mostly Jango clones, some of which appeared to need them pretty badly. A man who called himself Wire was the grateful recipient of a pair of boots. I'd seen Wire the day before in Rex's little communications hovel. He was hard to understand, but was apparently good at splicing computer components together. I think Wire is deaf. I concluded as he waved vigorously to me. I waved back and he too quickly disappeared out the front door.

"Oh, he's still in here." Fives appeared briefly in the kitchen arch way, apparently looking for me. He was soon followed by Katook.

"Good, there you are." Katook said as he came over to the table and sat down.

"Hi." I replied rather unenthusiastically, but trying my hardest not to cry. I knew it was silly to be upset at Katook for finally finding a wife and a kid; even if I didn't agree with how he'd gone about it. Anyways, I sighed as I had to force myself to look at him.

"We found this in the drawer next to Shiloh's bed." He conveyed as he carefully pulled out a book that was wrapped in a linen dinner napkin. It was the Bible Captain San Wan had given Shiloh just before he'd left for his mission. An actual type-set paged book. A rare commodity in today's world.

"Well, I'm sure the Captain would like that back." I mumbled. "Probably cost him a pretty penny."

"He asked me to give it to you." Katook replied as he slid the Bible across the table. I sat and stared at it a minute, complete with silk book mark hanging out. I will never leave you nor forsake you. The page holder said.

"Thanks." I whispered as I sucked back a sniffle.

"You're welcome." Katook sighed as he patted my arm and got up and left.

I sat for a moment or two leafing through this Bible. It was apparently well loved and cared for; as Shiloh had written notes in it, underlined passages and penciled in other references and lexicon word notations. I looked closely at one of his jottings: "..the 'force'?" it said. Hum? I contemplated a moment as it became startlingly real to me that he too struggled with this strange 'universe' in which we now live. Oh God. I sighed as I closed the book and peered up at the ceiling.

"Morning Nakam." A voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts. I glanced behind me. Rex was at the café dispenser.

"Oh, Morning." I mumbled in response. "Not that it's a 'good' one, but it _is_ morning."

"No, I suppose it's not _good_; but..." Rex cracked a smile as he came over to the table. "Want some?" He gestured with his mug before he pulled up a chair.

"No." I shook my head. "Feeling guilty enough for not finishing this." I sighed as I plopped this oatmealie stuff off my spoon into the bowl a couple of times. "Maybe the more I stir it up, the better it'll taste." I chuckled.

"Yeah I know, we're all missing that replicator thing Shiloh had scavenged." Rex laughed a bit.

"And we all generally believe 'real' food to be better than replicated." I chuckled cynically.

"Define 'real food'." Was Rex's only comment.

"So, how you doing?" Rex asked, sounding a little more philosophical than I'd heard of him in these short few days we'd been acquainted.

"Oh, I don't know." I hesitantly confessed. "Too many recent shockers to figure it out." I shrugged. "I didn't even want to go bury Shiloh. I guess I just feel really... lost right now."

"Yeah, I been there... kid." Rex sighed as he reached over and slapped me on the back; than cracked a smile and started to laugh. "Haven't called anybody 'kid' in a long time." He began to reminisce, before he paused a moment and looked at me. "Besides, you're too old to be a 'kid'!"

I just returned his gaze and smirked. "Yeah, thanks." We both chuckled.

"So, who was the 'kid'?" I inquired. "This Padawan you've told me about?"

"Yeah." Rex answered with a heavy sigh. "That was a long time ago though, or at least it seems like it was." He shrugged.

"So what happened?" I finally dared to ask.

"Oh, who the hell knows?" Rex threw his hands in the air and shook his head. "All this went down just before the order came." He let out one last sigh and rested his chin on his hand, staring aimlessly out the window. "Every thing got really weird about that time." He turned and looked at me, leaning back in his chair. "We clones all started having these strange dreams. Some of us even found the ability to use the force." He made a funny face. "Talk about 'out of body experience'." He chuckled. "Bethlehem had showed up on the scene. I'd nicknamed her Daisy the Droid Destroyer." Rex started to laugh. "Smart girl, can be hard to get along with though."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of." My comment slipped unintentionally. Rex paused a moment and looked at me.

"Katook?" He inquired.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Well?" Rex shrugged indecisively.

"No, go ahead say it." I peered over at him. "He sunk himself deep."

Rex put his head down on the table and suddenly started laughing. I sat a minute, before the innuendo of my own figure of speech caught up with me.

"That's not what I meant." I said dryly.

"No, no. I know; but seriously." Rex sat up. "It's OK. They'll figure it out." He reassured me. "She needs him. She needs his help. She needs someone who's going to love that baby as much as she does."

"You really think so?" I questioned in a bit of apprehensive hope.

"Yeah." Rex nodded honestly. "Besides, she thinks you guys are hot." He smiled at me.

I just flashed him a confused glare.

"Yeah." He nodded in confirmation. "She confessed to me one night what she thought of Shiloh's ... appearance."

"Shiloh?" I gave Rex one raised eyebrow.

"Well, not him specifically." Rex corrected me. "Said he was too old for her. Besides the fact that she didn't want to piss off Alexandria; that's another story though." Rex chuckled. "But yeah, she told me she found him very attractive."

"Hum." I made a funny face as I sat back in my chair.

"What?" Rex smiled at me.

"Nothing." I started to giggle as I waved him away; too embarrassed to ask the question I wasn't sure I really wanted the answer too.

"Oh Alexandria!" Rex suddenly held a finger in the air. "She loved Shiloh so much."

"Yeah, I figured." I squirmed a bit uncomfortably as the recollections of her displaced sentiments rolled through my memory.

"Oh no, it wasn't like that." Rex clarified. "They'd sit on the couch with their arms around each other; but their affection always... remained clothed - shall we say." He chuckled. "The worst I'd ever seen, was maybe one night, they'd had a bit too much of what Shiloh called wine. They'd spent the next ten minutes or so playing huggie kissy before they'd fallen asleep on each other." Rex smiled. "It was cute." He said in as sappy of a tone as he could seriously muster; before bursting into rolling giggles.

Finally, he sat up and looked at me a while. "But actually." Rex went on, a bit reflectively. "You guys aren't half bad. Of course you don't look like us." He nodded in self satisfaction.

"Thank God for small favors." I mumbled under my breath. To which, Rex leaned over and slugged me.

"Ouch!" I countered as I slugged him back a few times. "Stop!" _(wack)_ "Hitting!" _(wack)_

"Me!" _(wack)_!

"OK, OK!" Rex conceded. "Testy army you've got." He muttered as he suddenly held his hands up in surrender. "And I didn't mean that one either." He eyed me, while struggling mightily to contain his laughter.

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard every sterility joke in the book." I sighed as I sat down. "Tell me one thing though and please be honest." I looked pleadingly at Rex.

"Sure." He nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"Why hasn't any other clone taken Bethie up?" I inquired in earnest; for I had to find out what exactly Katook had gotten himself into.

"Well, That's kind of complicated. I guess I'd say." Rex responded. "She was so in love with Salam and so absolutely devastated when he got killed. She wouldn't even look at any of us. I guess either we reminded her too much of him, or else we'd never measure up? I don't know?" He shrugged. "Not to say it was all her either. A lot of the guys just couldn't get past the baby thing. Didn't want to be tied down with the responsibility. I suppose."

"What about you though?" I asked. "I mean, you, Ace and Fives seem to have taken this one on?"

"Well yeah." Rex nodded. "She's a clone just like the rest of us and since her child is one of ours; by extension, that baby is part of this brotherhood too. We gotta stick together you know. Especially now, and she's definitely made significant contributions to our cause."

"So what do you make of Katook on account of that?" I asked another question.

"Well?" Rex shrugged. "Apparently, she was willing and if he takes good care of her; than honestly, that's a load off of my mind."

"None of you guys were ever interested?" I looked at him inquisitively.

"Oh, in the beginning every body was." Rex laughed. "Struggled with it myself a bit. It's embarrassing now." He reluctantly confessed with a shake of the head. "But if a female clone of you suddenly showed up on the scene; what would you think?"

"Adam and Eve." I answered with a chuckle.

"Exactly!" Rex pointed at me. "She even said something about that at the time. Bone of my bone. Clone of my clone. Cloned in the image of God." He waved his hand in the air as if he was sweeping the thought away. "What ever that ancient Earth folklore meant to her?"

"Hum." I nodded. "Well I suppose if Eve really was created out of Adam's body, without God altering the DNA; she actually would have been a female clone of him."

"I don't know?" Rex just shrugged as he threw his hands in the air. "I'm a soldier, not a geneticist; or a theologian for that matter." He laughed.

"Neither am I." I chuckled too. "But seriously, you know her better than I do. Do you really think this will work out for them?" I asked. "It's an awfully big commitment he's made." I muttered, though mostly to myself.

"Yeah, but big commitments are all about little choices." Rex answered. "We all make those every day." He added. "Taking care of a family really isn't any bigger, or smaller - of a commitment than being in the army." He shook his head, as he made a funny face and stared at the floor momentarily. "Learned that one years ago." He mumbled to himself.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Oh, I ran into a deserter once." Rex began to explain. "Guy's name was Cut." He laughed. "Couldn't have picked a better name." Rex commented. "But anyways; when I first met him, I thought he was a coward. He'd explained to me what had happened and how he'd gotten stuck on this planet." Rex paused a moment.

"Well, he'd taken up with some alien...chick. I'm sure now she was a widow and he'd adopted her kids as his own. Not all humanoids are anatomically compatible you know." Rex strayed off topic for a moment, than waved his hand in the air. "Ehhh, never mind that." He dismissed his last comment as he stared out the window, like he was trying to somehow reach back and grab this memory out of the past. "They lived on a farm." Rex continued. "Nice people; but at the time, I guess I just couldn't figure out how he'd managed to ditch..." He thought moment. "The 'clone mentality'! I guess I'd call it now."

Rex looked at me.

"He made choices" He continued. "Ones that weren't any more or less valid than mine. At a time when the corps meant everything to me though; I couldn't wrap my brain around it?" Rex sat thinking for another minute or so. "Clones making choices for their own lives? We weren't suppose to do that. We were just suppose to follow orders; or the principles our training taught us." Rex shrugged. "I couldn't reconcile the two, so I just pretended that it never happened. Pretended I'd never met the guy; but it always ate at me."

"So what'd you end up doing?" I asked.

"Well about that, nothing." Rex answered. "As time went on though, I kept thinking and wondering what of the outside world was I missing." He shifted in his chair a bit. "I'm sure you realize yourself that the 'glory' of fighting wars gets old real fast."

"Yeah." We both chuckled.

"And than there was this Padawan." Rex blew out a long breath as he sat back again. "I really did like her. I really did care about her. She was sort of like the little sister I never had." Rex smiled. "But as the war dragged on, things started to change. Kids grow up and than one day; I realized she wasn't a kid any more."

"And you fell in love with her?" I chuckled inquisitively.

"Well, yes and no." Rex laughed too. "Yes, because you don't jump in front of clankers for anything less than; but no, because what I did..." He let out a long sigh. "Really wasn't out of love, or respect for her."

"Hum." I thought for a moment. "So you're really looking to make amends?" I concluded.

"Well again, yes and no." Rex went on. "I think we were both in the same boat. Everyone was in a bad spot and we all knew something was goin down. We just didn't know what!" Rex sat forward and rubbed his hands a minute as his eyes seemingly searched the room for an answer. "I think maybe inside somewhere we were all expecting immanent death and the other realities of life we were missing?" Rex paused with a sigh. "Well, maybe they got the best of us?"

"Virgins with rifles, a game of charades, all for a children's crusade." I quoted the words of an ancient song. Rex just sat for a moment looking a bit perplexed.

"Yeah." He nodded in acknowledgment. "How'd you know? I mean?" Rex shifted around uncomfortably. "From what I know of your army; you... don't..." His voice trailed off.

"Under 'normal' circumstances, you're right; we...don't." I nodded with a chuckle. "And personally, I'd never thought about it until I'd been 'restored'." I shrugged. "That whole dying a virgin thing just wasn't even an issue."

Rex looked at me and shook his head.

"Sorry brother." He mumbled with a grunt as he ran his hand through his hair. "That's just... that's just plain weird!"

"Yeah, I guess maybe it is." I started to laugh.

"Well, I figured something like that, when I asked Shiloh about your buddy Katook." Rex went on. "You two look different than that other clone... what's his name; Sentury?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"And than, I kind of 'heard through the grapevine'; I guess as you'd put it, about what happened to Shiloh." Rex indicated in a low whisper.

"Yep, that was pretty messed up!" I nodded in agreement.

"How does that happen though?" Rex muttered, but mostly to himself before he sat back again momentarily looking at me, as if the answer was somehow going to appear written on the invisible space between us. "No, sorry." He quickly held his hand up in apology. "You don't have to tell me."

"No, It's alright." I waved his embarrassment away. "Finding yourself victimized by someone else's evil is nothing to be ashamed of." I told him. "Basically, the trafficers overloaded them with neuro-transmitters." I went on to explain. "It caused a feedback loop in parts of the brain that wouldn't normally control libido. That's how they got them to... behave that way. Basically turned them into sex junkies." I frowned and than let out a sigh.

"Wow." Rex just shook his head in rueful disgust as he peered at the floor and than back to me. "But how'd Shiloh get... better? I mean, he seemed so normal in so many ways." Rex backed up a moment to realign his thoughts. "Not that any clone trooper is really normal." He chuckled with a self abating frown.

"Yeah, well!" We both laughed.

"When these guys would be rescued, or found." I continued. "The asylum would attach monitors to them. When ever a trigger would fire their feedback loop. The monitor would send an electronic signal that would basically knock the guy unconscious. They'd wear these things for a good six to eight months, while their bodies went through this chemical cleanse process. They'd also undergo intense behavioral therapy. If they made it through treatment, two to three years later; without committing suicide - they had a good chance of living fairly 'normal' civilian lives."

"Hum?" Rex nodded. "They couldn't rejoin their battalions though?" He inquired seeming a bit befuddled.

"Nooo!" I shook my head. "Any clone who'd been sex trafficed was decommissioned."

"Oh... yeah." Rex muttered with an agreeable shrug. "Keep 'em from going after civilians?"

"Nope. Keep 'em from going after other soldiers." I corrected him. "The trafficers would 'train' them on each other first."

"Eeehh!" Rex shuttered in obvious repulsion. "That is so ... !"

"FUBAR" I completed his sentence for him.

"Yeah!" We both looked at each other and shook our heads in disgust.

"I don't know though." Rex rubbed his face in a moment of thoughtful contemplation. "Not like we're any better. We'd genocide our whole high command structure."

"Yeah, I know. Jester told me what that was like." I gazed solemnly at him a moment before this notion popped into my head. "Is that what's troubling you so much about this Padawan?" I asked.

Rex glanced at me a moment. "I don't know." He answered openly. "What's troubling me so much is what I can't remember." He sat looking questioningly at me. "I don't know what I did?" He whispered. "I don't recall."

"Hum?" I nodded knowingly as I leaned my elbows on the table.

"Yeah." Rex sighed a reluctant confession as his eyes drifted toward the floor.

"Life really doesn't make sense sometimes does it?" I looked straitly at him.

"No, it don't." He nodded. "But I guess you just have to come to terms with it somehow." He concluded as he looked up at me. "Or at least that's what Cody used to tell me." He sighed. "Man what I wouldn't give sometimes just to hear his voice. Even when he used to pick on me; call me... sexy Rexie." Rex paused a moment. "Used to piss me off to no end. I wanted to kill him." Rex huffed and than cracked a smile. "You're going to miss Katook. I know."

I only nodded. "Gotta get my head back in the game though; or I'm going to screw this up big time."

"One day at a time." Rex said, as he leaned over and gave my arm a shake. "All you gotta do is what's in front of ya kid." He let out a sigh as he stood up. "Well Nakam, I gotta get back down stairs." He told me as he scooped up his empty mug and headed out of the kitchen.

"Rex." I called out to him.

"What?" He paused a moment.

"Thanks." I said.

"Yer Welcome." He answered.


	14. Chapter 14 Flashback

_**Flashback:**_

All I got to do is what's in front of me? I sat for anther moment or so, contemplating Rex's apparently hard learned advice. I wonder what he was like fresh out of the cloning facility? I began to ponder. How this order changed everything for so many? Even for the millions (or billions) of us who weren't directly involved? Makes Rex philosophical, Jester redeemable, Chopper suicidal, and poor Ray just plain nuts; (but than again Ray was nuts before the order; or maybe rather _he_ really wasn't the one that was nuts at all)? Too much bobbaly boo for one frustrated clone to figure out right now. I let out a sigh as I got up, cleaned my dish and wandered back into the livingroom.

"Well Alexandria... uh, Ma'am? Do you have something you need me to do?" I made a half-hearted inquire.

"Yes, I do Nakam." Alexandria answered abruptly. "Stop calling me Ma'am!" She shook her head. "This is not the Grand Army of the Republic any more. I don't have to tolerate that." She sighed as she folded her arms, looked around and than smiled wryly at me. "Other wise; here, go take these to Rex's hacker friends." She chuckled as she stuffed a bunch of components into a duffle bag and handed it to me.

"O.K..." I nodded, having to exercise considerable self control to not let a 'Ma'am' slip out. I shouldered the bag, snuck out the door and down two flights of stairs.

"Caleb!" Ace hollered as he was just leaving the apartment I was headed too. "Got company." He whistled as he gestured toward me. "Hey." He slapped me on the back as I slipped inside.

"Morning." Caleb acknowledged and than handed me a data pad in exchange for the duffle bag. He pointed to the back room. O.K.? I shrugged with indecisive curiosity as I glanced at the pad and strolled down another short hall. This apartment looked like an exact mirror image replica of the one I'd left upstairs; with the exception of stacks of prehistoric computer equipment, obviously waiting to fossilize.

"Hello?" I quietly inquired as I could hear whisperings amongst the numerous and multiplying dust bunnies that scurried away upon my opening of the door.

"Hey, come on in." One of the confiding voices responded as an arm reached out and pulled me behind a changing screen. Hey, at least it wasn't a giant dust bunny talking to me. I chuckled to myself. Standing there were both Bethie and Katook, half arrayed in Jango clone apparel.

"Oh good." Katook mumbled as he exchanged the data pad for another clone jump-suit - casually flung in my direction . I just looked dumbly at him. "Well, what are you waiting for; get dressed." He remarked as if I should already know what's going on here. I just stood there staring at the two of them.

"We need a third person; and it looks like you've been elected." Bethie grinned as she pulled her top off and went rifling though a pile of jump-suits, looking for which ever it would be that was to her best liking. Despite the fact she was wearing adequate underclothes; I think it was still more of any Jango clone than I ever really wanted to see. I politely turned around.

"Hurry up." Katook elbowed me as he was struggling to figure out this armor.

"O.K." I sort of mumbled as I reluctantly held the jumper top up before me and subtly pointed toward Bethie.

"O.K. O.K. " Katook grinned in a mixture of amusement and annoyance as he leaned over and whispered to her. She turned around a minute and looked at me; than smiled, reached out and affectionately thumbed my cheek between her fingers.

"Such sweet innocence." She giggled as she left a big sloppy kiss on the side of my face, failing to resist the urge to bounce my curls a few times. Finally she excused herself so 'your shyness' here could change. Katook, you really didn't have to tell her that. I would have been happy to leave myself. I only glared at him and shook my head.

"Nakam, it's alright." Katook sighed as he grabbed me by the head, pulled me toward him and threw his arms around me. "I love you bro; and there's nothing that's ever going to change that!" He said as he gave me a giant bear hug and than a good shake. I took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, for though I felt tremendous sorrow in the depth of my soul. The last thing I wanted to do was start crying again.

"The tears this army has shed could drown the planets they've saved." I remember Captain San Wan once saying to Professor Sha Wii.

"Yeah, I know." She responded. "But it's not the first time in this universe someone's freedom has been purchased with the blood, sweat and tears of another. It's your job to share with them that hope."

The captain stood for a long time, just looking at the professor.

"I will restore unto you the years the locust has eaten." He quoted.

"For I know my thoughts toward you; says the Lord. To do good and not evil and to give you an expected end." She added.

To give me an expected end. The words hung in my memory as I peered behind me at Bethie who was babbling a cheery "so long" to Gracie. I wonder what my expected end will be now? The thoughts rolled around in my head before they came to rest on something Shiloh had said. "I used to fantasize about what I wanted to be when I grew up." He laughed. "Now my dreams of being famous will have to take place after I'm dead." He grinned contentedly. "If my obedience has been used to bring one person to God; than my life will have meaning." He paused a moment "or at least eternally speaking."

Little things that you had done, sacrifices made, un-noticed on the Earth, in heaven now proclaimed. A phrase from a rather old; (and rather sappy) song floated through my memory. Do you really want glory in eternity though? Another question seeped in. Is that what we do any of this for? I glanced over at Katook as I pulled the jump-suit bottoms on. Oh how much I'd rather hear Jesus say "Welcome home." than "I'm proud of you." I paused a moment as I looked around at the people in my presence. I know you'd miss me if I wasn't here. I began to ponder. But I never did any of this because I wanted you to write a good eulogy. No, not even for accolades from God, or the love of righteousness. I did it because He first loved me.

I plopped down in a chair and fiddled with this funky armor a bit. Yes Shiloh; farewell old friend. I sighed as I'd suddenly come to a new conclusion. I guess things are going to be alright after all. I thought about that for a long minute. Did I still feel... abandon by Katook; or maybe even mad at Shiloh for dying? (Like any of _that_ really makes any sense what's so ever!) Yeah maybe; but like Rex said, we all make our own choices. I can't change the circumstances, but maybe I can come to terms with them? We all have to let go eventually. I sucked back a sniffle and sat listening to the quietness in my soul.

Peace? No matter what I feel of the circumstances in my life. Of which yes, sometimes they really suck. No denying that. I chuckled. But I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's. Thank you. Thank you God, for something I can't really put words too. I sighed one last time. My mind now quiet; empty of anxiety and pain. It's not permanent I know; fear and sorrow will return. For right now though; my world has struck an equilibrium. The "force" is in balance. As I guess maybe they'd say here? I chuckled to myself. I'd like to stay in this space forever; but... I got work to do.

So we holstered a few blasters and grabbed some mismatched helmets. I guess we are headed to go pick up someone who's been "extracted". I thought a moment as I looked over the data pad that had inadvertently been handed to me. High ranking clone who's identity has not been disclosed. The instructions said. Wonder if Ace is right. Maybe it is this Cody fellow this time around? My mind drifted a bit as I thought of a conversation Ace had with one very discouraged Rex the prior afternoon.

And I do suppose we also get to see what kind of a soldier Bethie is. My mind tracked down an alternate path. If she's as good at fighting as she was at seducing Katook; than I guess this could be an interesting mission._ (I know that really wasn't fair to say. It was just as much his choice as it was anyone else's. We all make choices.)_ Yes, Rex 'ol boy; we all make choices.

"Check, check; you both hear me?" Bethie's crackled utterances came over the com-link in my helmet. The monitor was flashing 'private channel'.

"Yep." We answered simultaneously.

"OK good." She sighed. "This shouldn't take long; done plenty of these." She continued. "There's an outpost on a moon two parsecs from here. It's sort of a quasi-prison. In the past; the army took clones there that were slated to be sent back to Kamino for 'reconditioning' or 'decommission'." Bethie explained as we climbed out the window and followed her down the fire escape. "Now it's supposedly a 'relocation' center. Mostly political prisoners though. We're the 'medical escort' to Coruscant." She paused a moment and surveyed the streets. "The chief doctor up there checks in clones that might be recoverable'; ones with promising displays of troubled conscience. We get the 'irreparable clone madness' cases." She chuckled. "That's where most of the underground clones here came from."

"Interesting." I mumbled in response.

"Come on; this way." She indicated with a jerk of her head. "We've got to get to the transportation block."

We jogged down the street, through a couple of turnstiles and down two flights of stairs; that apparently lead to some sort of subway. Many of Coruscant's finest rode these rails. I noticed as we edged our way into the next car. They were mostly civilians though; the vast majority of which made plenty of room for us. Advantages of running around with loaded weapons, I suppose. I chuckled as I cased my own surroundings.

We exited the subway four stops down the rail and backtracked two blocks to what looked like an abandon military installation. There was one lone guard lazily stretched out with his feet on a messy desk, absorbed in some cheesy, mildly pornographic hologram novel.

"Yeah, what do ya want." He murmured as he reluctantly got up and scanned us in.

"M M 12's Alpha yard." Katook answered.

"Ah, a crazy clone crates." The guard mumbled to himself. "Don't even know why the bother?" He shrugged as he waved us through. "Next tram leaves in about 10 minutes." He instructed as he pointed out the side door. "Unless of course you wanna walk." He muttered as he went and sat down again.

"Charming fellow." Katook snickered while he took up residency on one of the outside benches. "Hee Hee -ihh ha ha." He giggled as he wiggled around trying to adjust how he was seated in this armor. "Who's tin can was this; Tiny's?" He started to laugh excitedly as he looked at Bethie and continued to squirm. "Wooooh!" He exclaimed.

"O.K. Keep a lid on it kids." I mumbled as I took a quick look around. "Considering they think we're all guys."

"Oh that doesn't matter to some of these clones." Bethie expounded. "Pick an orifice."

"Alright, Alright TMI!" I gave the signal while my traveling companions just snickered at me.

The tram arrived shortly and we filed in, sitting next to a few (not so happy looking) souls. It was very dingy and dirty and noisy too. Factories across the river belched out noxious smog as the docking bays right next to us squeaked and squealed and boomed with all manner of machinery that didn't sound like it was in adequate repair. Boy, I hope the ship we pick up doesn't sound like that. I cringed.

"What was this place any ways?" I inquired in an attempt to occupy the time with some small talk.

"Old Naval base." Bethie answered as I watched endless rows of what looked like warehouses fade into a distant yellow haze.

"And there's still parts of it active?" I inquired.

"Yeah, now it's mostly used for civilian cargo; but there's a few military support units left here." Bethie answered.

"Looks old." I posed a casual observance while we passed a huge brick structure.

"Yeah well; it didn't start out as a military installation." Bethie went on to expound. "Back in the hay day of Alderanian cultural influence; this complex was copied from one of their ancient fair grounds. People used to come from all over Coruscant to see the displays of modern engineering marvel." She chuckled. "Stuff we all take for granted now."

"So these were all fair buildings?" I clarified.

"Yep." She confirmed. "Inside of some of them are crates full of statues and stained glass windows that had been part of the building edifices for the fairs. A lot of the stuff has been lost, or pillaged, or broken over the years." She shrugged. "But that was what; more than a century ago now?"

"Yeah well, time and tide wait for no man; do they?" I commented.

"Nope, they don't." She answered.

"Interesting." I mumbled to myself.

We got off the tram and headed into a small yard behind a crumbling air terminal. Well, this doesn't look any more promising. I shook my head as I turned around a couple of times trying to get my bearings. The buildings were in disrepair and half the machinery was leaking... something? In the abandon airfields behind us lay rows of mangled military hardware. Relics of a bygone era I suppose. All parked out here to rot; for lack of better place to put them? I guess. What a shame; they are even too rusted to recycle. I stood looking out over the wreckage.

"Hey Nakam; come on let's go." Katook poked me, as they both turned into a yard behind a gigantic gate.

"Here we are." Bethie announced with about as much enthusiasm as a bowl of soggy cereal.

"Yummy." I commented, when I got my first load of what options were available to us in the transportation realm. She just glanced back at me and shook her head.

We proceeded on, to a small desk where another ill tempered custodian of the wears complained incessantly about how issuing vehicle trip tickets wasn't even his job.

"I'm now a protocol droid." He kept repeating. "I'm fluent in thirty thousand language and an additional three million sub dialects of those languages."

"Well Good! Translate me a ship!" Bethie growled.

"Oh sir, yes sir; kind clone trooper, please don't shoot me." The droid continued to babble. "I was just reprogrammed and they fixed my memory circuits three days ago. Problem with the binary processor you know. Oh how these things wear out when we get older."

Bethie just dropped her head on the counter and banged it there a couple of times.

"Oh you clones really shouldn't do that." The droid went on. "I have seen helmets that failed to work properly, because the clone destroyed the external sensors from banging his head on tables."

Katook cocked the firing relay on his blaster and fixed it on the droid.

"Yes, yes I have your transportation voucher right here." The annoying tinny fluttered as it shoved a bunch of miscellaneous data chips at us.

"Thank you." Bethie growled again.

"Oh yes, now you clones have a good trip and please do try to control your tempers." The droid chattered on. "I just heard on the news; now the empire has come up with pills you can take for that."

"And these were the kind of droids you guys were fighting?" I giggled at Bethie as she forcefully shoved the door leading into the equipment yard out of her way.

"Recycled battle droids. I guess the empire has gone green!" Katook smirked.

"Roger. Roger." was Bethie's only comment.

We scampered through the yard and finally up the ramp of the small craft we'd obviously been assigned to.

"Well, here we are." Bethie sighed as she closed the docking bay ramp, pulled her helmet off and tossed it into a chair. We all followed suit. "Reminds me of the shuttle I hocked from Kamino." She muttered in reflective sadness, as we both just stood watching her a moment or so.

"What's the matter? Katook asked inquisitively.

"Oh?" Bethie suddenly snapped back to the present. "Nothing, fire up the engines." She instructed as she sat down. "I'll set the navi-computer."

"OK?" We both just shrugged.

We waited a moment or so while this sad and tired ship sputtered and coughed to life. It took a bit of tinkering with the fuel feed regulators; but we got it off the ground and headed out of the compound. Bethie seemed sullen and quiet as we made our ring through civilian traffic intersects and finally headed to the outer atmosphere of the planet.

"I've flown dozens of these sorties and never had a ship like this." Bethie finally spoke.

"Yeah, you said something about escaping Kamino in a shuttle." Katook reflected. "What happened that this ship suddenly makes you so sad?"

"Oh, nothing ... and everything." Bethie let out a little chuckle. "My daughter was conceived on the floor." She mumbled a reluctant confession.

"Well, that was good." Katook answered empathetically.

"Yeah it was." Bethie thoughtlessly agreed.

I just burst out laughing.

"Oh man!" Bethie started to snicker when she suddenly caught her own Freudian slip. "You have my permission to hit him." She told Katook.

Katook only cast an equivocal glare at me.

"Well uh, Katook; it's good that you agree." I tried as delicately as I could to re-frame the context. "Shows maturity." I grinned in confirmation and gave him a thumbs up.

"Oh Nakam." Katook just started shaking his head. "Tsk, tsk." He sighed. "Naughty clone."

"Well not really." Bethie continued to snicker as she sat up and looked straitly at me. "It wasn't you; _**you**_ weren't there either!" She howled as she slapped her hand on the console, jumped up and just about pounced on Katook.

"Ohhhhhh!" He seethed with excitement.

"AND I DON'T WANT TO BE THERE THIS TIME!" I screeched as I scrunched my face up and stuck my hands out in the air.

"NAKAM!" Katook hollered in panicked response. "OPEN YOUR EYES DUDE; YOU'RE FLYING THIS THING!"

"OH SHIT!" I feigned a sudden lapse of memory before I turned to Katook. "Don't worry. It's on auto-piolet." I grinned.

"AHHH!" Katook yelled as he attempted to jump up and hit me. Instead though, he managed to dump Bethie on the floor and land on top of her.

"Whaaaa." They both laughed as they rolled around a few times and commenced with totally unconvincing and ridiculous sound effects.

"O.K. PEOPLE!" I finally scolded them. "Time to pull yourselves... apart; we're almost there."

Katook jumped back into his seat and started clawing wildly at his armor. I just turned and looked at him. "You're so stupid; you know that!" I laughed.

So after we calmed down a bit from this little bought of silly banter and Katook's trying to 'pull himself apart'; we dawned our helmets and began the docking procedure. It wasn't long before the hatches and doors were squealing their hissing air through our shuttle compartment and we waited for guards to bring us our sick prisoner. A strange little alien suddenly stuck his head in the door and looked around. Bethie waved a two fingered "V" at him; to which he nodded and smiled.

"That's Doctor Rigal." She informed us over our com-links, as I watched him scamper back down the loading ramp.

A few moments passed before the prisoner came out. He was cuffed and shackled and when the guards brought him aboard; they tossed him in one of the empty seats and Katook and I strapped him in. Bethie was busy reprogramming the navi-computer for the trip home. She turned to secure the hatch when she got a glimpse of the prisoner. She paused a moment and than quickly latched everything up and sealed the door. Once the docking procedure began it's reverse sequence; Bethie pulled her helmet off.

"Cody." She whispered. "It really is you."

The sullen prisoner's eyes drifted toward her. "Daisy?" He mumbled.

"Yeah, Ace was right. Rex didn't think we'd ever find you." Bethie whispered in profound astonishment.

"Rex?" The man murmured in disbelief. "Rex is alive?"

"Yeah, Rex is alive." Bethie answered.

"What about Anakin and Ashoka?" Cody gasped.

"Don't know." Bethie explained. "We think Ashoka is still alive but no-one seems to know where she is. We only..." Bethie sighed as her voice trailed off a bit. "We only have rumors as to what happened to Anakin."

"Rumors? What kind of rumors?" Cody began to demand as he pulled at his straps and tried to stand up. "Rumors that he's Darth Vader? WELL I BELIEVE IT!" Cody yelled as he fitfully struggled against the seatbelts. "And I Think He Knows Where She Is! AND HE'S TRYING TO KILL HER!" Cody started to scream like a trapped animal.

"Woah, Woah, Woah. Wait, wait." Bethie spoke softly as she tried to quiet Cody. "We know what happened to you." She reassured him. "But you may have information that we don't. Rex is trying to find her and if we're going to get to her before Vader does; you're going to have to be calm to help us."

"Be calm, be calm, be calm." Cody began to chant as he rocked back and forth. "Be calm, be calm. Cody needs his meds." He mumbled unintelligibly. "Cody Needs His Meds. CODY NEEDS HIS MEDS!" He began to yell. "CO -DDY NEEED HISS MED!"

I peered over at Bethie and casually pulled out my phaser. Cody's med? I indicated Yes? No? I shook my head.

"O.K." She nodded in reluctant agreement as I waited for a moment when Cody's head was not turned toward me; than I zapped him into unconsciousness.


End file.
